Wild Ponies
by mayejrmorris
Summary: Follow three girls from a small town as they try two make their way in the world. One meets a lonesome cowboy and faces troubles only true love could bring her. Another faces trouble she never thought she would find. While the third tries to figure out what she wants in life. All three fighting to keep their friendship alive as they face the changes they never saw coming.
1. Trailerhood Josh Turner

Trailerhood  
Preformed by Josh Turner  
The trailerhood, the trailerhood  
ain't nobody doin' what they should  
One thing is understood  
you can be yourself in the trailerhood

The neigh... correction trailerhood was alive with music. Country music if you want to be specific. All the parents wanted to celebrate our graduation. There were only 3 graduates in the whole trailerhood and they were all leaving this place once the fall came.

Alice got in to Yale. She was the first person in her family to get into college let alone graduate high school. She's leaving next week because she has an intern ship during the summer.

Angela was on her way to south Florida. She wanted a degree in marine biology and thought that Florida was the best place to get it. Plus she wanted to get near the warm weather. The rainy weather was just too boring if you see it day after day.

And last but not least there is Bella. She is the youngest out of the three girls. She is headed to Texas. Why she is not entirely sure but it was either Texas or the local community college and she was not about to stay around this small town forever. She likes the small town atmosphere just not this town. The only reason she doesn't like the town is the man she's suppose to call her dad but that's another story.

Now back to the party. Bella had locked herself in her room about ten minutes after the start of the party. She locked herself because her 'dad' showed up and she wasn't about to speak to him.

"Open up the door Bella." Bella would know that voice anywhere. "We got food." Added another voice Bella also knew.

"Hi Ang." Bella told them opening her door.

"Hey. So what are you doing in here?" Alice asked hoping on to the bed.

"Did you not see him or is that an illusion done by Chris Angel?" Bella screamed out.

"What?" Alice said as she and Angela ran to the only window in the room. "Why did he even come. He is such a creep. I have no idea why he insists that you call him daddy. He's only your mom's second ex-husband."

"He's leaving now." Angela said. "He does drive a beat up old Chevy right?"

"Yeah," Bella replied nervously.

"Well it's leaving now." Alice replied walking back to the bed. "So I guess you can get your big but up out of this room and party till you have to go to bed to start your job."

"I won't be starting anything." Bella said lying back on her pillows.

"I thought you were supposed to start working on the Turner ranch tomorrow."

"They called me yesterday to say that they are not making enough money to pay me. It is cool it just means that I have more time to prepare for Texas."

"I guess you cou..."

"Hey why not see if you can get a job on a ranch in Texas. You would leave us a little earlier but you could put a little money away before school starts." Angela said cutting Alice off.

"All right let's go to the party. I'll look for a job on Monday but no drinking." Bella replied calming her friends anger and spiking up their cheerfulness.


	2. Everything is Fine Josh Turner

**Everything is Fine**

**BY Josh Turner**

Everything is fine, fine, fine

Through the sunshine and the rain

I got a peace of mind

You know I can't complain

I make it a point to thank the Lord

When I got Him on the line

I'm feeling good and everything is fine

Bella woke up the next morning after the barbeque and got ready for church. Her mother was gone. She ate her breakfast and waited for Alice to get there with Angela so they could walk to the church just down the road.

"Bella open up the door won't budge." came the voice of Angela.

"Please I'm freezing my but off out here." Alice said just as Bella opened the door.

"Well if you wore pants when it was raining out you would have the problem." Bella replied moving to let them in. "Now would you." She added.

"Very funny Can I barrow a pair of yours?" Alice asked.

"You know where they are." Bella said pointing to her room.

Alice left running to Bella's room to change into a warm pair of jeans. Bella and Angela sat down and waited for her to finish knowing she could take minutes or even hours.

"Hey Allie did you tell her about that thing yet?" Angela yelled to Alice.

"Ask me about what?" Bella said turning back to Angela.

"Oh I was talking to Alice last night about your problem with the ranch before I went home and her adoptive mother Esme over heard. She told Alice that she has a close friend that lives in Texas and she also owns and working ranch not those stupid dude ranches celberties go to all the time. She told Alice that since she thinks of you as a daughter also that she better have you call the rance and see if they had an opening."Angela said grabbing Alice's bag and looking through it and brought out a piece of paper. "Which means she'll call him sometime today and beg them to have an opening," She added handing over the slip of paper.

"Wow your Esme won't ever take no for an answer will she?" Bella asked when Alice came back in.

"Nope. She never has and never will." Alice replied. "It's where I get it from."

"You won't hate me if I leave early will you?" Bella asked both girls.

"How could I. But you have to send me a cowboy for Christmas and my birthday." Alice said.

"Maybe if I don't claim him first." Bella replied walking out the door.

Ten minutes later the girls walked into church. They were met by Alice's mother at the door. They sat (reluctantly) with her as the minister gave the sermon. The service lasted about an hour like always.

"I think Embry was better today." Alice said coming out of know where.

"You know lusting after a guy in church is not a good idea." Bella said to her.

"I was not lusting after him. I only looked at him while he played the drums."

"All right you have a point there. He was better on the drums than Jared was last week. Now come on Esme is waiting to take us out to lunch." Angela said coming from behind them. "Your mother already high tailed it out of here so don't worry."

"Let me guess KFC." Alice said.

"Let me guess Green China." Bella pop out.

"Green China." Angela replied.

"Yes. Come on pay up Allie."

"Fine." Alice replied handing over the five bucks she had bet Bella.

They all climbed into Alice's Esme's car after she had found them Bella for one was glad that she was driving and not Alice. Alice who was used to Esme's driving wasn't fazed when she started speeding toward Green China. Bella leaned forward and whispered "Now I see where you get your lead foot from," Into Alice's ear. They both snickered and relaxed into their seats.

Once they got to the restaurant they were lead to the back of the seating area. They gave their drink and food orders. They were there for about ten minutes before Alice's Esme started asking questions.

"So Bella did my _daughter_ talk to you about my friend down in Texas?" Esme asked.

"Yes she did." Bella replied.

"Speaking of jobs I'm going to leave earlier than planned." Alice said.

"Why?" asked Angela.

"One of the spring interns left early so I have to fly or drive out earlier than I had plan." Alice replied.

"When do you leave?" asked Bella.

"This Wednesday. At 5 o'clock in the evening."

None of the girls said anything after that they just ate in silence unless they were asked a question about something from Esme who didn't ask many because she kept chatting up a lady at the next table.

As they were leaving Bella was stopped by Mike Newton. "Hi Bella. I was wondering if you would want to go to dinner with me tomorrow night." He asked he when he caught up with her.

"Sorry my day will be filled helping a friend pack for college and them hanging out with her until she has to leave." Bella replied.

"Okay. I could help pack." He replied.

"Sorry. It's just us girls." Angela said butting in because her friend looked like she needed to be saved.

"Oh well bye." He replied like he didn't want to leave or believe what they said.

"Man can a guy please take a hint. That guy has asked you out like every day this year. Including the 3 months you were dating Edward."

"Oh please do not remind me about that." Bella said climbing into the car. "We may be friends but it still awkward some times.

The mood only got worse when they got back to Bella's. The screaming probably could be heard all the way across the trailer park. Bella groaned in displeasure as she climbed out of the car and walked towards the terror that was her life.

"Call us if we need to help you escape." Alice called out as the car started up again.

"No she better call us no matter what. We have to have out time together before you leave Wednesday and we will start as early as possible even if we have to sneak you out of that hell hole your suppose to call a home." Angela yelled while the car started to move away.

Bella stood on the step to her 'home' and waved as her friends rode away. Even though she didn't have to walk far to see them she still didn't like seeing them drive, run or walk away.


	3. The Answer Josh Turner

**The Answer**

**By Josh Turner**

**If you're looking' for somebody you can talk to**

**When the heartache and the troubles overcome you**

**There's a man you can count on**

**That you can put your problems on**

**You've questions, you need directions**

**Arms to hold you for all eternity**

**Look no further 'cause there's no other**

**For a lover and an understander**

**Jesus is the answer**

* * *

Jasper Whitlock was breathing hard as the Texas sun beat down on him. He was in the middle of a field on a horse trying to get the cows home. He was doing what he was always doing pushing them to move west in the direction of the barn. The beats of a horse galloping reached his ears. He turned in his saddle to see his brother coming toward him.

"What do you want Peter I'm doing my best to get the cow to come in not much I can do with a bum arm." Jasper said as his brother came up behind him.

"Mom's home."

"How is she?" Jasper asked.

"Fine. She has better movement in her arm than you do and remembers us and everyone else. It's like the accident never happened."

"Good for her."

"Jasper you need to stop your wallowing mama's gonna need you when I leave. I wish I could stay but Charlotte needs me too. She can't be alone when that baby comes." Peter told him before making his own horse move.

Jasper didn't say a thing as he watched his brothers retreating back. After he couldn't see his brother any more he turned his attention back to the cows and finished getting them back into the barn before the night came.

He took his time putting his horse up. Jasmine was her name. Brushed her longer than needed like his little sister use to before the cancer took her too soon. He finished grooming jasmine and them put her in her stall and walked to the house like he did every night.

"Jasper your home. Kind of late if I must say how come you didn't come see me home?" his mama asked him.

"The cows needed bringing round so I was takin' care of that before the weather turned cold like the news said." he replied.

"It wasn't your fault." His mom said to his retreating back.

"You don't know that mama. You weren't there if you were you would be dead too."

"Now your uncle's death was not your fault nor was your daddies. You still got one uncle that needs your help running this place. He's getting so many calls about that job he doesn't know what to do. Now you can help him by taking that off his hands and reliving him of a heart attack and go out and have fun once and a while too." She told him.

"Don't worry about it Peter is making me go out to night." He replied back.

"You still seeing that Maria girl?" she asked.

"No mama I ain't she ran off with some guy named James awhile back."

"Oh Jasper didn't I teach you to take your hat off in the house." His mom said taking his hat off and handing it to him.

"Sorry mama won't let it happen again." he replied.

"You better not let it." she replied turning on her heel to leave her youngest son to his think. "Oh and don't have too much fun you're my companion for church tomorrow." She added.

Jasper himself walked to his room to take a shower. The heat from the water reliving his strained muscles after that days hard work. He climbed out and got dressed for the night out that Peter was making him endure tonight. It would be a last night of torturer before he had to get home to Charlotte the next day.

"Just so you know Peter I am not drinking tonight."

"Come on Jasper at least have a few." Peter said coming out of his own room.

"Your definition of a few would have me drunk of my a—"

"Don't you finish that sentence Jasper Otto," Called Carolyn Whitlock who came to say good bye to her sons for the night. "And Peter if Jasper doesn't want to drink he doesn't have to. Besides he has to find a new ranch hand for your uncle tomorrow."

"Come on we got to get to the Alibi." Peter said dragging his brother out to the door and in to the truck.

Peter had turned the radio on and immediately had Jasper plugging his ears. "Do you seriously listen to that crap? It makes my ears want to bleed."

"Jack must have turned it to that station after I let him borrow it last week. I had my iPod on the way up here but it took a nose dive in to the toilet last night and doesn't work anymore." Peter had replied flipping to a local country station. "Better?" He questioned raising his eye brow in Jasper's direction.

"Much." Jasper replied.

"Jasper you should try to meet a girl tonight it might get mom off your back for a while about settling down and givin' her some grand babies and all that." Peter said pulling up into the Parking lot of The Alibi.

"Pete I do not need you on my case too. I will settle down when I am good and ready and if you are going to hound me about that all night then you might as well take me home right now." He was growing evermore tired of his mother and his brothers' persistence that he fined a girl that would make him happy and want to settle down.

"Give me a break I'm just doing the oldest son/older brother thing to do. If you got a problem tell mom to stop telling me to talk to you. You know she can tell when I lie."

"Please just stop. I'll find someone when god deems it the right time." Jasper replied.

They ordered their drinks and went to play a game of pool at a nearby table. It did not take long for Jasper to think of ways to sneak out of the bar and out to the trunk till Peter was done having fun.

"Hi Jasper why don't you come have a drink with me?"

"Sorry Maria I got to go."

* * *

**Please review if you want more.**


	4. I'll Be There Josh Turner

**I'll Be There ~ Josh Turner**

**When you break your heart or skin your knee**

**Need a big ol' hug or a bowl of ice cream**

**I promise you can count on me**

**I'll be a heart mender**

**A prayer sender**

**A hoper and believer when it's all up in the air**

**A strong and steady shoulder**

**I'll be a secret holder**

**Anytime, anything, anywhere**

**I'll be there**

* * *

After his night with Peter two nights before; Japer had refused to go out with him again. He was now in the waiting room of the local hospital waiting for his niece or nephew to be born. H had been there three hours already and nothing happened yet. He was worried because he had to pick up the new hand in a few hours and he didn't want to miss the birth.

Jasper looked up from the floor to see his brother walking toward him. "What in the Sam hell are you doing out here?" he asked once his brother was close enough that he didn't have to yell.

"Charlotte thinks I'm to overbearing." He replied.

"What do you mean by that?" Jasper asked.

"I kept asking her if she was okay."

"Was that all?" asked jasper raising his eyebrow.

"Yes."

"You want to know your problem is Peter. Your problem is that you asked a woman who is nine months pregnant and going through labor how she's feeling over and over again. Kind of obvious what your mistake was."

"Peter James Whitlock get your but in the delivery room now!" came the voice that both men knew by heart.

"I am ma." Peter called making his escape before his mother caught up with him.

Jasper just smirked as his six foot brother ran from their five foot mother. It wasn't long until he saw his mother come around the corner. His mother sat down next him. "How's Charlotte ma?"

"She's fine the baby should be here soon. They just told her to start pushing when I left."

"I hope the baby gets here soon I have to pick up the new hand from the airport."

"You have to see the baby first."

"I know ma. That's why I hope they make their début soon."

It wasn't long before they started to hear Charlotte screaming at Peter. _'I'll grip your hand as tight as I want to.' _They heard peter mumble something back and then screamed. Peter's screams were soon followed by baby's cries. Once the baby's cries were heard Jasper and his mother stood up and waited for Peter to come out with the child but he didn't come. There was more yelling and more screaming until the cries of another child were heard.

"I feel sorry for Pete weather those two are girls or boys."

"Glad so see you're there for your brother but I do get your point and that is only if another woman didn't give birth." Jasper's mother said wiping away a tear.

They stayed silent after that and watched the door waiting for Peter to walk out with the baby or to come out and tell them they can come see them. They didn't wait long because five minutes later Peter was walking through the door. "You can come back and see."

"So what do you have a son or a daughter?" asked Jasper.

"You'll see." was all Peter said.

They continued walking with Peter leading the way and Japer bugging him the whole way. "Jasper leave your brother alone." His mother replied sternly.

"I've got to do it because after today it'll be his kid that does it not me." Japer replied.

"Hey Ma." Charlotte greeted as they entered the room. She was holding a baby in a pink bundle. "I would like you to meet Ellen Marie."

"She's beautiful," commented the new grandmother.

"She'll be wrapped around your finger in no time." Jasper said and turned around to look for Peter who had disappeared. "Where is Peter?"

"I asked him to get me something to eat." Charlotte said.

Jasper watched as his mother held Ellen. He stood back and waited his turn. He looked at his watch and knew he had to get going. "Hey Ma let me hold Ellen for a bit. I got to go soon." His mother handed of over Ellen quite reluctantly though.

"You better not be leaving yet little brother."

"I'm not leaving. I just wanted to hold Ellen before I left."

The door had been closed after Peter came back with Charlotte's food. There was a knock and a graying doctor walked in. "Are the parents of Whitlock baby two here?"

"YES." Replied Charlotte and Peter at the same time.

"Your son's is stable for now. His lungs are a little weak so he won't be able to go home until he reaches a healthy weight and can breathe on his own."

"Thanks when can we see him?" Peter asked.

"You can see him tomorrow after the lung doctor checks him out. I would let you see him tonight but he needs to get use to his surroundings right now."

"Wait what's wrong with his lungs?" asked Jasper.

"The twins would be considered twins only because they were born at the same time. They were conceived at different times and few weeks apart; because while Ellen Maybe perfectly okay the boy..."

"Allen. My son's name is Allen." Peter replied interrupting the doctor.

"Okay Allen is having more trouble." The doctor replied.

"How could she get pregnant when she's already pregnant?" Peter asked.

"It's very rare and does happen. I personally don't know why except that somehow she released another egg after she conceived the first time."

"Are you sure?" asked Charlotte.

"Yes I am sure. If you have any more questions about your son's condition please ask me or my colleague. She's the head of the nicu here. Her office is just down the hall."

"Thank you. I'll be sure to ask if I have any." Peter replied shaking the doctor's hand before the doctor turned and left the room.

"Peter can I ask why didn't you say anything?" Jasper asked.

"They didn't know if he was going to make it or not." He replied. "I guess I didn't want to saying thing and have him past on." He added.

"Oh. Hey listen I really don't want to leave right now but if I don't the new hand is going to be waiting for me to arrive." Jasper said.

"Go. We'll let you know if anything happens." Peter said. "And I'll take mom home if you run late."

"You should stay with Char, Ellen and Allen. I could drop back by on my way home and pick Ma up. It won't take long." Jasper replied before leaving for the airport.

**

* * *

**

Readers,

**Sorry for the late post. I had compete writers block on this story and did not want to put a lack luster chapter up. This Chapter was a Jasper chapter. The next one will be a Bella chapter. I picked the song because of what Peter is going through.**

**Maye**


	5. She'll Go On You Josh Turner

_**She'll Go on You ~ Josh Turner**_

_**If you've got a little girl, you better take the time**_

_**To go to her tea parties and give her a piggyback ride**_

_**Be a dragon or a dinosaur every chance you get**_

_**Cause one day you can bet**_

_**She'll go on you**_

_**Before you turn can around**_

_**And it's so lonely watchin' that**_

_**Fast train leavin' town**_

_**Better cherish her every second of your life**_

_**Cause this precious little thing that we call time**_

_**She'll go on you**_

Bella Swan was at the airport waiting for her plane to arrive and take her to Texas and away from her dad. Her mother was fine but would rather be with her husband than her daughter. Her dad was sitting right beside her in his uniform. "Dad if you have to get to work go. I'll be fine and I still got that pepper spray you gave me." She told him.

"I said I was going to see you off and I'm going to. Apparently I am the only parent who feels obligated to be here."

"_Flight 106 to Texas Now boarding."_

"That's me." Bella said standing up and turning to face her dad. He stood up to.

"Bye Bella. You better call me and I better be called before Alice or Angela."

"Dad Alice and Angela will be too busy with Ben and Edward to worry about me." Bella told him

"Got everything?" he asked.

"Yep," Bella replied after Charlie handed over her ticket.

"Call me when you touch down." He hollered after.

Bella just smiled and waved at her dad for the last time for how long she didn't know. When she got to the counter she handed over her ticket was allowed on to the plane.

She took her seat and was glad that she had a row of seats to herself. There were only three in the row and she would have been stuffed between two people. She waited until the plane took off to move to the widow seat. She fell asleep looking out the window.

'_Isabella come on we got to go meet Billy and Jake.'_

'_No I hate Jake.' Bella replied._

'_You don't hate Jake.'_

'_Yes I do he killed my Barbie.'_

'_Then make him play dress up with some of Rachel's clothes.'_

'_Why can't we just stay home and have a tea party?' little Bella asked._

"Miss it's almost time to land. You need to put your seat up."

"Thanks." Bella replied putting her seat in the upright position. The plane landed and taxied over to the unloading spot.

Bella started to worry now. She had no idea what Jasper looked like and didn't want to walk pass him. She stood just outside the gate with her carry on. She saw a few people waiting for loved ones or business associates. One was a woman with long red hair, the other two were men One with blond hair and the other with dark hair. Finally after ten minutes Bella decided to go get her luggage and call Jasper to see if he was there.

She found the baggage corral with no problem. She found her first bag and got it off with no problem. It was when her last bag came around that she had trouble.

"Let me get that for you," Said a smooth southern drawl.

"Thanks." Bella said turning around to see the blond man from before.

"Are you Isabella Swan?" He asked.

"Just Bella."

"What?"

"I don't go by Isabella. I go by Bella."

"Well hello Bella. I'm Jasper Whitlock and you will be working for my uncle this summer."

"I thought I was working for you or you mother I assumed because I was told a woman own and ran the ranch." Bella said.

"Well in the technical sense it is my mother you work for. It's her name on the checks used to pay you but my pa's brother and I run it together. He just handles the money side of things I handle the actual labor part of it."

"Oh."

"I'm going to show you around the house when we get there. Show you to your room and then I got to get back to the hospital."

"Hospital you okay?" Bella asked.

"I'm fine. My Brothers wife just gave birth and I told them I would be back up to say good night."

"Tell 'em I said congratulations."

"Will do. Are you hungry because if you are my mama would kill me if I didn't stop and get you something?"

"No I'm fine. I got plenty of junk food in one of my bags any way."

The ride out to the ranch in Jasper's truck was too quiet for Bella's liking so she turned her iPod on and soon fell asleep again. It was late and she was incredibly tired. She woke up when she felt a tapping on her shoulder.

"We are here." Jasper said he climbed out of the truck and grabbed her bags before opening her door.

"Thanks." Bella replied before her phone began to ring.

"_Bella. You were suppose to call when you landed."_

"Sorry Dad. I fell asleep. Apparently flying can take a lot out of you." She replied.

"_That's fine I just wanted to know you were okay."_

"Dad I got to go you know the grand tour and all."

"_Okay but you better call me tomorrow."_

"Bye Dad."

"_Bye Bella." He replied._

Jasper lead Bella on a tour of the house and the parts of the farm closer to the house. Saying the other things needed to be shown on horseback. "You want to see where you will be staying?" Jasper asked.

"Sure." Bella replied following Jasper up a set of stairs.

"This is your room. it has a bathroom of your own. If you don't like it we can switch you to another room but there is only one other room with an attached bathroom and that's mama's and mine and I don't think you want a room smelling like the inside of a barn." Jasper said taking her to her room.

"No this room will be fine." Bella replied.

"Well that concludes our tour. Any questions?"

"When do I start actual work?" she asked.

"Usually at 6:00 am but since the babies were born where starting later tomorrow around Noon."


	6. Mama, I'm All Right Miranda Lambert

**Mama, I'm Alright ~ Miranda Lambert**

**She loves me more than anything**

**And she wants the world for me**

**Her west dropped off in El Paso**

**And her north in Abilene**

**Mama I'm okay out here**

**I've seen how hard the world can be**

**My step is sure and I know my name**

**I'm strong just like you prayed I'd be**

**I'm strong just like you prayed I'd be**

Alice had made her way to New York with out a problem and her only problem right now was her mother. She started internship with the fashion magazine (thankfully her mother didn't know). It was harder that he thought but wasn't surprised. She still liked the work. The only thing she didn't like was the size of her dorm room closet.

She had finally called Bella her third week at NYU but still hadn't told her how she had triked her mother.

"Hey Bella You will not be—"

"_Alice I don't have the time right now."_

"That Cowboy working you that hard." She said.

"_Not like that Alice. Their down a hand, his brother's wife just gave birth the day I got picked up from the airport."_

"I'm just kidding. I actually got to call mama."

"_You are really going to call your mom after last week?" Bella asked._

"I was referring to Esme Cullen not Mrs. Brandon."

"_Oh well tell her hi from me too. I got to go call you later."_

"You better call Angela." Alice said quickly before Bella hung up.

"_I Will." Bella replied before hanging up._

It had only been a month and Alice still missed her best friend and wondered if she made the wrong choice of going to Yale instead of Texas with Bella she didn't even have Edward with her. She talked with Angela at least once a week if she wasn't busy with Ben who moved down to Florida to be with her.

Alice grabbed her keys and went out to her car so she could get to her job in time. She may have an internship but they do not pay money so she had to get a second job. It was easy she was a hostess all she had to do was show people to their tables.

"Miss Brandon you are late."

"Sorry Class got out late and I had to get into the uniform." Alice replied to her boss.

"Well get to work and clean the tables before we open up. We are a hand down." The boss replied stiffly walking away.

Alice did what she was told and tried to get it done in the hour before they opened up. It wasn't hard all she had to do was flip the chairs of the table tops and wipe the tables down. She had no idea when her coworker came in but it didn't take her to realize they were there because they started cleaning some of the one hundred tables. When she went to take her cleaning supplies back she slipped and fell on a slick spot of the floor.

"Are you okay Alice?" he asked.

"I'm fine but back up out of my personal space please."

"Eric, James, and Alice will you three quite fooling around and open up." The boss yelled.

"We're getting there." They all yelled back. James and Eric took their places in the kitchen waiting for the patrons to be seated. Alice waited by the front door.

Work went by without any problems. She did get hit on by a few people including Eric and James. She shivered at the thought. It's not that she didn't like them they just were not her type. Although she would go for Eric before she would go for James.

With work being exhausting Alice was happy to get home and take a bath while reading her favorite fashion magazines. She had dreamed of being a designer but didn't see that dream coming true anytime soon. She had only come to Yale because her mother wanted her to 'Bring pride to the family' she had said as if they came from old money or something.

Esme Cullen was the only woman who would have supported her no matter what she wanted to do. She was the only one who really cared about her. Alice threw the magazine to the side and got out of the bath she had gotten a bad feeling that something bad was going to happen. She just didn't know when, where or what was going to happen

**~A~**

Angela was walking along the beach waiting for Ben to get off work at a nearby bar. He had moved down after her when he learned that the school he wanted to go to didn't accept him. She liked the beach because it allowed her to see some of what she would do when she started classes in the fall.

She felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist. "Guess who?"

"Ben you are so cheesy."

"I've spent too much time around Jim. He just got married a month ago and is still in the honeymoon stage." He said before asking "What do you want to do? And please tell you don't want to see that new vampire movie."

"Those movies are stupid. Come on what vampire sparkles? Or doesn't have fangs? Vampires have fangs." She replied grabbing his hand and heading for his car as rain started to fall.

Once they got into the car Angela's phone rang.

"Hey Bella." Angela answered.

"_Hi, Angela." Bella replied._

"Is something wrong is that why you called?" Angela asked.

"_No. Alice made me call you."_

"That pixie can make us do anything even if we are states away."

"_I know. What you doing?"_

"I am going to a movie with Ben. What about you?"

"_I will be working. I work from six am to six at night. I'm on break right now."_

"I'll let you go now."

"_Okay. Tell Ben I said hi."_

"You could tell him yourself but you got work to do so I'll let you go."

"_Bye."_

Angela hung up with Bella and went back to talking to Ben about his newly married coworker. Angela told him about the call she had received from Alice the day before and how she talked about one of her coworker giving her the creeps. Ben just told Angela to let him know if he had to kick some one's but.

When they got to the theater they turned around and went to eat instead because the only movies they had playing were the stupid parody movies the kid movies minus the Vampire movie.

"I cannot believe they don't even have a decent romantic comedy playing at least." Angela grumbled about the theater.

'Well we can at least rent a movie. You know one you haven't seen yet but were released on DVD."

"Well I'll have to settle for a movie at home."

"Hey I am not that bad." Ben cried.

"I was referring to the movie not you. There is a difference a big difference I might add."

"Oh really and now how big would that be?" he asked.

"Let's see your about six feet 180 pounds and a DVD weighs about 3 five ounces and is about six maybe seven inches long."

"Come on then lets pick up that DVD. We should stop and get food on the way to."

"I heard that Chinese place on Second Street was pretty good."

"Then we will try it. Can't be too bad can it?" Ben replied.

Angela playfully smacked her boyfriend on the shoulder before racing him to the car.

_**Ring**_

"Mom?" Angela answered.

"_Angela you need to come home. Your father's not doing too well."_

"What do you mean he's not doing too well?" Angela asked.

"_He was in an accident with the boys and the doctors don't know if he's going to make it. Doctor Cullen is trying everything he knows but he's still not sure."_

"I'll try to get home as soon as possible. Just call me or text me if he's changed."

"_I will honey. Just be careful when you come home."_

"Bye mom." Angela replied before her mom hung up. She immediately turned to Ben who just hugged her until she was done crying and took her to buy a plane ticket. Angela didn't know that Ben paid for the ticket completely by himself.

"Call me when you get there" he told her.

Angela just nodded.


	7. The House That Built Me Miranda Lambert

**The House That Built Me ~ Miranda Lambert**

**You leave home and you move on and you do the best you can**

**I got lost in this old world and forgot who I am**

**I thought if I could touch this place or feel it**

**This brokenness inside me might start healing**

**Out here it's like I'm someone else**

**I thought that maybe I could find myself**

**If I walk around I swear I'll leave**

**Won't take nothing but a memory**

**From the house that built me**

I had just gotten off the phone with Angela and she told me her dad had passed on. She was the only one out to the three of us that had a decent set of parents. I had a good dad but a good mother was something I lacked.

I walked across the open lawn to Jasper's office in the barn and knocked.

"Come in."

"Jasper I need to take a few days off. A friend of mines dad just died. His funeral is this Friday. I'll leave on Thursday and be back on Saturday."

"You know you are leaving us shorthanded."

"I know that's why I am leaving late Thursday night and coming back early Saturday morning so you won't be shorthanded to long."

"Well there is nothing I can do right now. But you still got two days of work and I suggest you get back to it."

I replied with a thank you and went back to my work with the horses. The one I liked working with the most was named Jade but I already worked with her today so I had to move on to another horse. I picked midnight the newest horse from a farm over in the next county. The barn had burned down and they family had nowhere else to leave their horses so they spread them out on farms in the tri-county area. Midnight's owner came by every weekend to ride him and groom him. She loved him and hated not having him home where he belongs. I couldn't blame her.

It didn't take long for me to give the horses under my care their daily walk. So when I was done I took them and put them all back into the barn and began grooming them. I started with Jade and Midnight first since I took them out before any of the other horses. I took my time grooming them because I didn't want to leave them. I finished just after six.

I only had to work tomorrow and Thursday so I got my bag ready before hand. I was going to head straight to the airport after I finished.

"So I heard you leaving us." Jaspers brother asked.

"Just for a day really and it's not for fun; so quit moving those wheels in your head and shouldn't you be with your wife."

"She sent me to deliver pictures to grandma."

"Well she's outside on the porch." I told him as I passed. I got to my room and turned on the radio. I was going back home for the first time and only a month had passed. I can't believe I going home now I just hope I come back.

_Knock_

"Come in." I called.

It was Jasper. "You okay?" He asked.

"Fine; just didn't think I would be going home this soon."

"Death is a part of life."

"I know. I lost my grandmother two years ago and nearly lost my dad last year. I keep telling him he should retire but he won't listen."

"What does he do?"

"He's police chief of forks Washington." I replied.

"Now that explains why you don't like speeding always afraid dads going to catch you going over the speed limit."

"So true and I never went to any parties unless it was to pick up my friends after they had a little bit too much to drink." I replied.

"Mama said she's prayin' for you and you better and said that you are to leave Thursday morning not Thursday night. 'No young lady should travel alone at night' I believe she said." he told me.

"So I'm leaving Thursday morning?" I asked.

"Mama would kick my but all over Texas if I didn't let you off."

"She makes me think of my grandma."

"Well I got to close up the barn. so see you tomorrow." Jasper said walking back out of the room closing the door.


	8. Lord HaveMercy OnA CountryBoy JoshTurner

**Lord Have Mercy On a Country Boy~Josh Turner**

**Well I grew up wild and free **

**Walking these fields in my barefeet**

**there wasn't no place I couldn't go**

**with a .22 rifle and a fishin' pole**

* * *

It had been a month since Angela's dad had passed. She was still upset but back at school after Bella and Alice told her that her father would have wanted her to go and finish school. Ben even flew up to fly back down with her.

Alice had quit the internship after she had her tires slashed by another girl out to get the job. She said her life wasn't worth a job. She now worked as a receptionist in a modeling agency.

Bella was back at the Whitlock ranch but didn't work the long ours she use to because Carolynn Whitlock had taken to asking for Bella's help around the house. She still worked with the horses but she just groomed them after they came back from ridding and if they needed from being in the stalls too long.

Which; was what she was doing at the moment with Midnight. The horse had been injured on one of the trails the week before and was just now cleared by the vet to move around but just for a little bit.

"You can head back to the house when you finished with him."

"Thanks Jasper but I still Blue to take care of." Bella replied.

"I'll do it. I don't have anything else to do plus I think mama might need your help. Peter and Charlotte are suppose to come by tomorrow and she is cooking up a storm."

"Wouldn't the food go bad?" I asked.

"She's pre-making as much of it as she can; just like she does around thanks giving and Christmas."

"Sounds like my grandma. I guess I'll see you later."

Jasper didn't say a thing back to Bella and continued working on Blue. Bella took one last glance at him and walked away. After she got out of the barn she ran into another person.

"Sorry." She said repeatedly getting up from the ground and dusting her pants off.

"That's okay. Can you tell me where my brother is?" Peter asked.

"In the barn grooming Blue," Bella replied.

"Wonder what he's thinking about now." Peter mumbled.

"What do you mean thinking about?"

"Grooming or riding horses is what he does when he needs to think about something." Peter replied.

"Oh." Bella said. "Is your mom still in the house?"

"She's there with Ellen."

"How is Allen?"

"He's still in the hospital but as soon as he is a good wait the doctor says he could come home."

Bella started to walk away before turning around "Hey Peter; Allen's gonna be okay. He's got a lot of people praying for him."

"Thanks." Peter replied walking away.

Bella waked back to the main house. When she walked in she was greeted with the cries of a new born. "Is she okay?" Bella asked.

"Yeah. She is just missing her brother. Only been apart for a few hours and she is still scared."

"They are twins' maybe only in the fact they were born at the same time but they are still twins they probably have some kind of connection." Bella replied.

"Oh I guess you are right." Charlotte replied.

"Carolynn do you need my help for tomorrow?"

"Not tonight but tomorrow I will just to make sure everything gets finished."

"Well I guess I'll see you two tomorrow." Bella replied turning to climb the stairs.

_**With Jasper**_

"All right little brother what's got you reins in a knot?"

"Who says they are in knots?" Jasper shot back.

"The only time you groom the horses is when you have no one to do it for you and since Bella is here to do that; it leads me to the other reason you also only groom them when something is racking your brain and you can't figure out how to solve it. So what is going on in that brain of yours?"

"I just got something on my mind."

"Something or someone or both?"

"None of your business."

"Come on tell me." peter pushed.

"No. It's not your concern and I don't want to talk about it." Jasper snapped.

"Fine little brother. You can stay here and mope while cleaning the horse you can come up to the house and see your niece before we take her back to the hospital to see her brother."

Jasper stopped what he was doing and cleaned up the supplies put them in the office and followed his brother to the house.

_**Later with Peter and Charlotte**_

"I think Japer has got a girl on his mind." Peter said.

"I noticed something was off and he kept on looking at the stairs so I bet its Bella."

"I figured that too. I ran into her when I was walking out to the barn."

"Come on start the car already I want to see my son." Charlotte replied.

"You are not the only one. I heard Ellen crying up storm." Peter said back.

_**~!~**_

_**Readers,**_

_**I would like to have three reviews before I post again.**_

_**I hope you like this chapter. It is kind of a filler chapter.**_

_**But I wanted to slowly build up Jasper and Bella's relationship. **_

_**I don't want it to be all of a sudden they are together.**_

_**~Maye~**_


	9. No Rush Josh Turner

**No Rush ~ Josh Turner**

**Walkin' (walkin') an' talkin' (talkin')**

**Dreamin' with you, wonderin' (wonderin')**

**And tell me baby, I've been wonderin'**

**Are you feelin' it to No rush, no rush, **

**We've got forever, baby for catchin' up**

**Let's lay it on back to the speed of love**

**No rush**

_**~!~**_

Bella was worried about what her classes would be like. It was the last day of summer Jasper and his family was having a barbeque later that night. As an employee of the ranch Bella was invited. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go or not. The storm that has come to town last week was gone but another was supposed to come within the next couple of days.

She had just hung up the phone with her weekly call with Alice and was about to call Angela when she heard a knock on her door.

"Open," She called.

"Bella are you coming?"

It was Jasper.

"Yeah. I just got done talking with Alice." She paused before adding "Like your mother would let me hide up here in my room anyway."

"You are right about that. She did the same thing when my homecoming date ditched me for the captain of the football team."

"That explains your aversion to foot ball."

"That and I always preferred baseball even in the great state of Texas were football rules as the main sport."

"Bella, Jasper get down here." Called jasper's brother Peter called.

"Peter do not yell you'll wake up the kids." They heard Charlotte say to him as they walked downstairs.

"Dang Peter not even here twenty minutes and Char's already ripping you a new one. That has to be a recorded." Bella commented sitting down by Charlotte.

"Oh I have done it faster. The first family gathering after we got married two minutes after crossing the doorway I was yelling at him."

Bella didn't say anything and just stared at Peter. She started laughing shortly after with jasper and a few other people laughing along with her. The group of people drifted through the house and the ranch talking about some of the improvements that had been made. Bella had drifted from the crowed and made her way down to the barn with all the horses.

The horses all seemed to be doing fine. She petted each one on the head but stopped when she came to Jasmine and Midnight. She had no clue why but she was drawn towards those two horses.

She unlocked the door to Jasmine's stall and walked in and grabbed a brush and went to work on the horse's hair. It wasn't hard to do because the horse had been groomed once earlier that day.

"I should have known you would end up here."

"I like her so it shouldn't be that surprising." Bella replied.

"Have you ridden a horse?"

"No." Bella answered.

"You work on a ranch and you have never ridden a horse."

"No. I've always been the person that walks the horse after a ride. That or I groomed them."

"Oh. You know how to put a saddle on?"

"Yes."

"Then put one on her you are going for a horse ride."

"What would you do if I refused?"

"We do have ways of making sure someone stays on the horse."

"Fine." Bella replied giving up.

"First put this on."

"A helmet?" Bella asked.

"To protect your head if something spooks the horse."

Bella put on the helmet and then listened as Jasper told her how to get onto the horse, she new perfectly well how to get on a horse after watching the riders all day. After Bella got on Jasmine, Jasper got on Midnight they rode out into the sun.

"See your not doing to bad."

"I never said I was afraid of the horse." Bella replied.

"I never said you were."

"So do you and Peter have any secret hide a ways around here?" Bella asked.

"One that I remember. I could take it to you now if you want."

"Sure." Bella replied.

Jasper took her down a trail lined with trees and wild flowers. She loved it and could not keep herself from watching Jasper (Jasper was doing the same thing with Bella). They talked and jasper had told her there was a pond where they were headed.

They lead the horses threw an opening in the trees (you had to look really hard to see). They were now in a meadow lined with the same trees and flowers as the trail she had been on. The only difference was a large pond in the middle.

"Jasper that is not a pond that is a lake," Bella said.

"Large pond, small lake," He replied hopping off his horse.

Jasper walked over to Bella and Jasmine after he tied up Midnight so he couldn't get away. He helped Bella off Jasmine and tied Jasmine up so she couldn't run away.

There was a small dock on the edge of the pond Jasper walked to it. He sat down on the dock and took his boots and socks off and put his feet into the water. Bella looked at him for a few seconds and followed him. She shivered as the cool water touched her feet.

Looking at Bella, Jasper got the urge to dance and he stood up on the dock and held his hand out to Bella. "Dance with me" he said.

"Why?" Bella asked blushing.

"Because I feel like dancing and I don't think I can dance with a frog or fish."

Bella reluctantly stood up and faced Jasper. He took her right and put it on his left shoulder and put her left hand on his right shoulder and they slowly began to (pardon the pun) slow dance. Bella couldn't help but stare into Jasper's eyes. Jasper started to lean forward when a rain storm decided to hit.

"Come on we better get home." He said dragging her to where they had the horses tied up.

He helped her on to Jasmine and then jumped on to Midnight. They raced back to the barn with Bella nearly falling off Jasmine when they came to a stop. After helping Bella down from Jasmine Jasper put both horse up for the night and they both walked back to the house.

They didn't speak about what happen at the hidden pond. But from that moment Jasper knew he was falling for Bella and Bella knew she was falling for Jasper, but nether knew of the other's feelings.


	10. Angel's Fall Sometime Pt1 Josh Turner

**Angels Fall Sometimes – Josh Turner**

**My chances weren't good she was way out of my reach**

**How could she ever fall for some Ol' boy like me?**

**But here she lies asleep tonight in these arms of mine**

**And that goes to show angels fall sometimes**

_**~!~**_

Jasper Whitlock had spent weeks thinking about the girl who lived in one of his mother's spare rooms. He had come close to kissing her a few times but had never followed through on it and his brother did not let him live it down and poked fun at him every chance he got. His brother had even gone as far as texting him at odd hours to just ask her out already. He ignored them but had been thinking about doing just that.

"Jasper what's got your mind a wanderin'?" his mom asked.

"Nothin' a talk with Peter, Dad or God won't fix; Mama."

"Well you better talk to one of them soon, you are about to pour that coffee on your hand."

Jasper put the coffee pot back and took his cup outside and down to the office inside the barn. Bella was already there getting the horses ready for their rides later. She had only been on the ranch two and half months and did better work than some of the guys who had been working on the ranch for years.

Jasper had been in the barn for twenty minutes and Bella hadn't said anything to him and he hadn't said anything to her. He had to close his office door to keep his mind off of Bella while he made phone calls. He lifted his head up when he heard a scream. Ignoring it Jasper continued to work as if he was just hearing things. It wasn't even two minutes after the scream that Bella came running into his office.

"Bella?" he asked standing up from behind his desk.

"Jasmine... I... I think she's sick." Bella mumbled.

"Show me!" Jasper said.

Bella showed him the sick horse lying down. The horses breathing clearly labored. Bella watched as jasper stepped closer to the horse.

"Go get my phone." He told Bella as he knelt down beside the horse.

Bella left to get his phone and brought it back. She handed it over and leaned against the door frame. She took deep breaths to calm herself down while jasper dialed the phone.

"Dr. McCarty. This is Jasper over at Whitlock ranch. I gotta sick horse and don't know what's makin' it sick. Okay see you in twenty." Jasper spoke into the phone; after handing up jasper turned toward Bella.

"Bella I need you to go back to the house. You don't have to watch this."

"No I want to stay with Midnight Bella said defiantly putting her foot down (figuratively).

"Fine you can stay for now but have to leave when Dr. McCarty arrives." Jasper replied.

As they awaited the arrival of Dr. McCarty Bella and Jasper watched the horse known as Midnight. They both knew it didn't look good. Bella shivered as the air got colder as the rain started to fall harder.

True to his word Dr. McCarty arrived twenty minutes later in a beat up white truck. He walked up carrying a black bag similar to that of a human's doctor.

"Dr. McCarty quick as ever," Japer replied.

"Where is the horse?" the doctor asked skipping the pleasantries and getting down to business.

Jasper lead the man to the last stall in the barn. He pointed into the stall Jasmine was in. The doctor walked right in and got to work as jasper watched. The doctor looked over every inch of the horse and found nothing.

"Jasper I really did not what to say this but I think your horse pardon the pun is on her last legs. She's dying."

"So what is making her sick?" Jasper asked.

"I don't know. I didn't see any insect or snake bite we most likely won't know until after she has passed on."

Jasper said good bye to the doctor and went to find another ranch hand that could watch Jasmine for him. He needed to tell Bella and call his brother peter and let him know because Jasmine was really his horse. He did not want to tell his brother his horse was dying. He found Colin and told him to watch the horse and to let him know if anything changed or the horse had died. The young man shook his head saying that he understood.

Having not found Bella anywhere in or near the barn; Jasper headed for the main house. He saw his mom on the couch when he entered the house. She pointed up stairs like she knew what jasper was thinking.

He made his way up the creaky stairs and down the hallway to Bella's door. He knocked on the door when he came to it. Bella opened the door with red rimmed eyes and Jasper knew she had been crying just seconds before. Bella cried even more when she saw the look on Jasper's face.

Jasper sighed and said "The doctor say's it don't look good. He said Jasmine..." Jasper had not been able to finish what he was going to say because Bella had started to cry again.

"Are you sure?" Bella asked whipping away the tears from her eyes.

Jasper shook his head yes before saying "The doctor took some blood from Jasmine to see if there are any abnormalities but he doesn't think the results will come back in time."

Bella thanked him for telling her and closed the door to her room so she could be alone for a while.

Jasper walked down the hallway to his own room to call his brother for the house phone in there. Peter picked up on the third ring like he always did when he wasn't distracted.

"_You finally ask B...?" he started._

"No Pete that's not why I'm calling."

"_Then what happened with Bella?"_

"Bella is not the reason I'm calling." Jasper said.

"_Then why you calling when Charlotte and I will be there later today," Peter asked._

"It's Jasmine, She ain't doin' to good."

"What's going on with her?"

"She's dying at least that's what Dr. McCarty says." Jasper replied.

There was a long pause where Peter didn't say a thing back.

"Are you okay Pete? You haven't said a thing." Jasper said quite loudly into the phone.

"Did she get bit by a spider or snake?" he asked breaking his silence.

"Not that I or McCarty could see. He's having the blood tested for poison and other abnormalities just in case." He replied.

"Well let me know what happens."

"Tell Charlotte I said hi." Jasper said before both brothers said goodbye.


	11. Angel's Fall Sometime Pt2 Josh Turner

**Angels Fall Sometimes – Josh Turner**

**My chances weren't good she was way out of my reach**

**How could she ever fall for some Ol' boy like me?**

**But here she lies asleep tonight in these arms of mine**

**And that goes to show angels fall sometimes**

Jasper hung up his phone and started to rub his temples in frustration. He never (even when he was a kid) has seen a horse get that sick that fast. He lay down on his bed and was brought out of his thinking when his mother knocked on his door.

"Jasper is everything okay?" she asked trough the door.

"No mama it's not?" he replied getting up to open the door and let his mother in.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Jasmine is sick. Deathly sick from what Dr. McCarty says."

"Did you call your brother?"

"I just got off the phone with him." Jasper replied.

"I guess I will leave you alone now." she replied before leaving the room.

Jasper listened as his mothers footsteps faded down the hallway. He got off his bed and went to move the healthy horses to another barn rather than risk them getting sick.

Jasper stopped by Bella's door on the way out to let her know he was moving the other horses. They had their five to move and another six that people boarded with them to move.

When jasper got to the barn the held Jasmine later that night to make sure he was okay considering the condition he was in. He had just gotten done with moving the eleven other horses to a new barn and making sure they were good for the night. He turned off the office lights before making his way to the stall that held Jasmine. He got an eerie feeling walking past the empty stalls. He came to Jasmine's stall and walked in.

Colin was not in the stall watching Jasmine like jasper had told him to. He left the stall to find the boy who was supposed to watch him. He couldn't find him anywhere. He looked at his watch and it said six o'clock and Colin had to be home at five. After not finding Colin anywhere Jasper went back to the barn to sit with Jasmine himself waiting for Peter to arrive. He was there for ten minutes when Colin came walking back in with a bucket.

"Where where you?" Jasper asked.

"I was out getting water for Jasmine. I was gonna try and get her to drink it," Collin replied.

"You can go home now." Jasper said dismissing him. The boy placed the bucket on the ground and left.

Jasper sat down in the stall and had been in the stall for an hour when Peter came in. Peter said nothing and sat down by his brother. An hour had passed before they said anything and it was Peter who spoke first.

"At least Katelyn will have her horse back." Peter had said causing Jasper to smile.

"We better get going Mama gonna tan our hide if we don't get going and wash up for dinner." Jasper said hopping up on to his feet.

"How is your arm?"

"Fine it hurts a little from moving the horses but aspirin can take care of that."

The two men washed their hands after listening to their Mother's lecture about being late to dinner. Bella and Charlotte who had been watching from a corner with Ellen and Allen (who had just gotten out of the hospital) where laughing at them openly.

**~!~**

Bella had finished dinner early saying that she had to go for her weekly call with her dad which she did do. She had talked with him about Jasmine the horse she had come to love as her own. She had hung up the phone telling him that she had school in the morning.

She put on her jacket and boots and walked out of the barn to see Jasmine. She knew the horse had belonged to Kaitlin Whitlock Peter and Jasper's younger sister who had died five years earlier at the age of thirteen from cancer.

She turned on three lights leading to Jasmine's stall so she didn't have to walk in the dark. She sat down on a stool in the corner of the room she could see the horses head her eyes were open but had little life left in them. She looked at her watch and it said ten pm. _Guess I was on the phone longer than I thought_ Bella thought to herself. She began talking to the horse out of boredom telling her everyone has been hoping that she would get better.

Bella tried to fight off the sleep she knew was coming. She said one last thing to the horse before her eyes drooped closed.

**~!~**

The family dinner had ended. Jasper and his mother had seen his brother and his wife out the door. Watching as his nephew and nice were put safely into their new car.

"Now jasper when am I going to be seeing you off like that?" she asked.

"Maybe when god wants it to happen," He replied.

He turned around and made his way back up stairs to get his hat and jacket and headed out back into the rain. He noticed that more than the one light he left on where shining brightly. It had him nervous that someone had broken into the barn. He was glad that he had moved the other horses into another barn.

Once he got into the barn himself he was soaked from the rain. He noticed a few spots in the roof that where leaking. He ignored them and looked around the barn after finding no one in the empty stalls or office he turned off the lights and walked into Jasmine's stall.

Collin wasn't there but Bella was. She was snuggled into the corner of the room on one of the old stools placed in it. Jasper could see her shivering underneath the small jacket she brought to keep her warm.

He leaned over Bella she was breathing but very slowly. He kneeled down and picked Bella up and walked her to the house. Both of their clothes were soaked by the time he got back to the house. He put her down on her bed and let his mother know that Bella's clothes were wet and needed to be changed and he was not about to do it. After talking to his mom he went and changed his own soaked clothes for warmer ones. He checked on Bella who was now in warmer clothes and tucked in under her blankets.

"She looks peaceful."

"Like angel" his mother replied.

"I know."

"Jasper, get yourself in bed." His mother called from her room down stairs.

He smiled at his mother and did as he was told and went to his own room.


	12. Jacksonville Josh Turner

**Hello my loyal readers/reviewers. I am so sorry it took so long to get this out. I had planned to get this out last week but my great grandma passed and the earth quake and tsunami in Japan had me worrying about a friend of mine that lives over there (she is okay). Hope you like the chapter and sorry of the lateness.**

_**JACKSONVILE – J**__OSH__** T**__URNER_

_**I'm givin' up my walkin' shoes**_

_**While the wind and the waves wash away my blues**_

_**And you help me lose track of time**_

_**Rock and roll, your holdin' me**_

_**Rockin' in your arms by a rollin' sea**_

_**It was easy makin' up my mind**_

_**I can see forever in your eyes, your eyes**_

_**Didn't plan on hangin' out in Florida**_

_**Never was to good at standin still**_

_**Suddenly it's lookin' like I'm gonna**_

_**Kill a few more days in Jacksonville**_

Bella got sick from her night spent in the barn. She started to run a high fever and was forced to stop working by Jasper and his mother. She took a few days off of school but nothing happened she passed all her first semester classes. It was almost Christmas. She hadn't made it home to see Charlie at thanks giving because she had caught the flu from Jasper who got it from one of his cattle wranglers.

"Bella come on we got to get the horses ready for the blizzard that's going to hit tonight." Jasper called up the stairs.

"_Leave the girl alone. She's been sick twice in the past six months because of you." His mother yelled at him._

"Yes Mama." He replied.

Bella finished putting on her boots and coat. Then grabbed her gloves and headed down stairs.

"Sorry Jasper I couldn't find my gloves."

"I can see you got them now let's get going."

Bella and Jasper trudged the hundred or so feet from the house to the barn. It had been fixed in the previous weeks after Jasmine passed. They had their friend and Vet Emmet McCarty toke care of her. She had been poisoned and would have made it had the barn been in better shape.

The got the horses done faster than they thought because one of the other ranch hands that usually works with the cows came down to help. Once they put all the horses in the correct stalls they walked back up to the house. For some peace and quiet while Riley (the ranch hand) headed for the bunk house down the road. They hadn't been to the house ten minutes when another ranch hand that continued to work with the cows came running into the house.

"What the hell Tyler? You know and knock before you come in."

"I would have but I saw the Voltaire brothers down the south pasture looking at your land. They had some guy with land surveying equipment with them. "

"My Uncle told them we were not looking to sell." Jasper said grabbing his hat and walking out the door.

Bella watched as Jasper made his way down to the barn and ride out on a horse. He apparently went to go and see what the brothers had been looking at. Bella had heard the name Voltaire around town and the tone of the voices was that people were scared of them or just plain wanted nothing to do with them.

Bella hadn't met Caius Marcus or Alec Voltaire. Their father Aro Voltaire was just as bad from the way people around town spoke of them. She ignored most of what was said because she didn't know them and didn't think she would meet the four Voltaire's yet.

It was hours before jasper came back to the house. Bella had already eaten and gone to bed. Jasper's mother stayed up to wait for her son _"Just like I did when he was a teenager."_ She had told Bella after dinner. Bella just smiled and walked up to her room.

Bella had been resting on her stomach in her bed when she heard the doors bang open and close. She could hear his mother tell him to be quiet that she (Bella) was asleep. She could hear his muffled reply and then soon after the scrap of a chair across the floor in the kitchen and the beeping of the microwave.

It was about another hour before Bella heard the soft foot steps of Jasper's mother and the heavy footsteps of Jasper himself up the stairs and to their rooms. Bella rolled over on her back when she heard the doors close.

Bella was half way asleep when there was a knock on her door an hour later. She threw her legs over the edge of the bed and slowly walked over to the door and opened it. It was Jasper he looked to be half asleep also.

"Do you need something?" Bella asked after yawing.

"Yes I do actually. Do you think you could have your dad do a background check on the Voltaire brothers for me?"

"Sure I see what he says. I'll call him tomorrow or later well technically later today actually." Bella replied to jasper.

"Thanks." Jasper replied before going back to his room.


	13. Kick It In The Sticks Brantley Gilbert

**K**ICK** I**T** I**N** T**HE** S**TICKS**- B**RANTLEY** G**ILBERT

**Welcome to the home of a hillbilly Yeah baby**

**It's a land of barbed wire, moonshine, whiskey**

**Park your car before you get it stuck**

**Go on grab you a beer**

**And get on up in the truck**

**It's going down tonight**

**It's all on me It's BYOB, and I got all we need**

**Yeah boy I'm about to show me a city slicker**

**How to kick it in the sticks with the critters down on**

**Our side of a barbed wire Money grows in rows**

**And if it don't you've gone broke**

**So we We hang out by the bon fire**

**Just some good ole boys having a dang good time**

**We crank it up down here We get loud down here**

**Throwin down in the dirty dirty south down here**

**Be an all nighter with the hippies and the hicks**

**Jocks and bikers they all came to kick it in the sticks**

"So Bella when are you going home?" Jasper had asked Bella the morning after the blizzard fell.

"Sunday if no more snow falls."

"Well would you be willing to go to an early Christmas party an old friend of mine from high school is having it."

"I'll think about it. I'm not really a party person."

"Let me know before tomorrow. The party is at eight and you would only have to where what you where for work but cleaner and smelling better." Jasper replied before walking out side.

Bella laughed and went back to the letter she was writing to Angela. Angela was staying in Florida for Christmas break and Bella really missed her and Alice both dearly but she hadn't heard from Alice in a few days and was starting to worry.

She had spent the day writing to Angela and Alice. She emailed Alice hoping to see if she would say something back. After emailing Alice she took the letters she wrote to both girls and walked to the mail box at the end of their half mile long drive way. She took her phone with her just in case she tripped and fell along the way.

She was about halfway to the mail box when more snow started to fall in big flakes. She got to the mail box with no problem but shivering from the cold. She put the letters into the mail box and closed it. She was about to start walking back when she spotted a black SUV in the field across from the mail box. Two men were standing beside it looking over the field. She got a bad feeling about them and walked back into the line of trees behind her so she wouldn't be spotted by the two men.

She took out her phone and dropped it in the snow where it disappeared into. She got to her knees and started searching for it so she could call Jasper. It took her ten minutes to find it and found that the cold from the snow has drained the phone of most of the battery life. She quickly sent the text to jasper and waited for him to come.

She hid behind the biggest tree and continued to watch the two men. She would glance up the road to the way Jasper would come. She didn't see anything. When she turned back to the two men they were climbing back into the SUV and driving away. Jasper arrived just seconds later. She climbed into his truck and rubbed her hands together for some warmth.

"So why did you want me to pick you up. You seem fine to me." Jasper said once Bella Closed the door.

"There was a black SUV over in that field. If you went and looked now you could see the marks in the snow that were made by the tires and the foot prints from the two men that stood beside it." She told Jasper.

"You wait here." Jasper said taking a camera and hopping out of the truck.

Bella watched him as he took pictures of where the SUV had parked and where the men seemed to have stood. After a few minutes of taking pictures he walked back to the truck and climbed in.

"Do you know what the two guys looked like?" he asked Bella.

"I saw the profile of one but the other kept facing the field so I didn't get a good look. Why?"

"I need you to look at some pictures when we get back to the house. We have been having trouble with some trespassers and we think they have been the ones who hurt the two cows we found sick in the pasture and the death of Jasmine."

"Okay." Bella replied.

The short drive back to the house was quiet. Jasper drummed his fingers on the steering weal in tune to the song on the radio. Bella just stared out the passenger window and the snow that continued to fall. If it kept going like that she wouldn't be going home for Christmas let alone the party tomorrow night.

When the pulled up in front of the house Bella climbed out and nearly slipped on the compacted snow on the ground. She caught herself and walked into the house. She went to her room and waited for Jasper to come and have her look at the picture he was talking about.

She soon heard his heavy footsteps on the stairs, then the creaking of his door and the sound of papers being moved around. Finally she heard more footsteps then a knock on her door.

"Come in." She called.

Jasper opened her door. Clasped in his hand was what she assumed to be a photo.

"Is that the picture you wanted me to look at?" she asked.

"Yes." Jasper replied handing her the photo.

Bella took the photo and looked at it. There were three men in the photo. One had their face obscured by a hat another one was wearing. They were standing outside of a warehouse that looked abandoned. She could see the profiles of two of the men.

"The one on the right was the one I saw but I can't be sure I wasn't that close." Bella said handing the photo back to him.

"Thanks." Jasper replied stiff tone before walking out of the door.

Bella turned her attention to her computer which she had turned on before Jasper came in her room.

She had an email from Alice and a wave of relief swept over her.

_Bella,_

_Sorry I haven't written you. I've been studying for my finals. Took the last one a few days ago and have been working non-stop ever since. My classes were so boring that I am really considering dropping out and trying for the fashion design school._

_Alice_

Bella read the email two times before writing her own reply.

_Alice,_

_You should try for you dream. Continue going to the school your mom want you to go to and build your portfolio for the scholarship they have and then apply to the school._

_Bella_

She sent the message and turned off her computer. She grabbed a book. She was halfway through the book before she turned out the lights and went to bed.

**~!~**

The next morning Bella woke up later than normal. More snow had fallen during the night, Bella didn't know how they were going to get to the party and hadn't even told Jasper that she wanted to go. She hopped out of bed took a shower and put on warm clothes that she could where that night if they even went.

Once she got down stairs she grabbed a cup of coffee noticing that jasper and his mother where nowhere to be seen. She sat down and looked out the French doors that led to the back yard. The fresh snow gave it a beauty that would never be found in her home state. While she missed her father she didn't miss her mother or the state.

"What's got you thinking so hard?" Jasper asked from behind Bella.

"The snow and how you would get to that party tonight."

"Why are you saying yes to going with me?"

"No I'm yanking your chain.* Of course I'm going with you if you still want me to anyway." Bella replied.

"Well we have four wheel drive truck to get us through the snow and if those don't work then we'll go by horse." Jasper replied.

"And where is the party?" Bella asked.

"A few miles out by Ol' Pott's farm.**" He replied back.

"Oh."

"I'm going to make sure the horses and other animals are warm. We'll head out around seven."

Bella nodded and continued to sip her coffee and looking out the French doors. The day passed with the same pace as the day before. It was slow and Bella thought that it seemed slower because of the party later that night and she wanted to get to it. She had never been a party person and was interested in seeing what the party would be like figuring it would be different than the one's she heard about in high school.

She had finished wrapping her gift for her dad Charlie when there was a knock on the door.

"It's open." She called.

Jasper walked in with his truck keys in hand. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yeah." Bella replied putting the newly wrapped gift on the book shelf by the desk.

The duo made it down stairs without Bella tripping once.

"Where's your mom?" Bella asked not seeing the woman anywhere.

"She went to Peter's to help them get ready for Christmas it's been hard for them to do it on their own with the twins."

"I wouldn't blame them. One of my best friends Angela has two twin brothers and they are terrors." Bella replied.

"I hope for Charlotte's sake they aren't but peter's sake I don't care." Jasper said.

Bella and Jasper climbed into Jasper's big black Ford F250. It would be the truck Bella would buy to replace the one her Dad got her when her and her mom moved back to Washington. It died long before her senior year so she just rode the whole year with Alice and Angela. The radio started up when Jasper turned the key. A little known country artist from Georgia was blearing through the speakers.

Jasper drove through town and out of it until they were about five miles out and turned down an ol' dirt road that looked like the road that led to his house but she knew it wasn't because they had left it a few minutes before. It wasn't long before Bella saw a line of pickups ranging from knew as Jaspers to as old as Bella's old one.

"Come on I'll introduce you to everyone." Jasper said turning the truck off.

Bella reluctantly followed Jasper and got out of the truck. Once she got to his side he grabbed her hand and lead her to a clearing where a few kegs had been set up. There was a mix of jocks, bikers and hicks at the party already and god only knew who would show up as the night progressed.

They walked up to a man that looked similar to Jasper and Peter. Bella figured he must be a cousin.

"Bella this is my Cousin Garret." Jasper said pulling Bella out of her thoughts.

"Nice to meet you Bella would you like a drink?" Garret asked motioning towards the keg.

"Sorry I don't drink." Bella mumbled.

"That's okay. There's water or some other stuff by the bonfire." He replied.

Jasper led Bella to the bonfire and they both sat down on a log about four feet from it. After a few minutes he got up and walked to a cooler about ten feet away and grabbed a soda for her. She took it and sipped from it. He would introduce her to people that walked up to them while also telling her stories of his self in high school. Bella laughed at most of them.

"You know you could go and hang out with your friends." She said in her normal voice before adding. "I got the pepper spray my dad gave me before I came down here." In a whisper.

"Fine but if you start to feel uncomfortable and want to go home you tell me." He replied before joining Garret at one of the kegs.

Bella found herself feeling strangely alone. She would talk to the girls that came up to talk to her but didn't actively seek anyone. Her phone had long since died so she couldn't even check the time. It was dark out and the only light came from the bonfire and the lanterns they had hanging around the place.

It was close to midnight when a man with long sleek black hair walked up to Bella. He reminded Bella of a dark haired version of Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter but older.

"Hello." The man said. He had an accent but it wasn't the American southern accent that she was used to.

"Hi." Bella mumbled turning back to the fire.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing here alone?" he asked.

"I'm not alone."

"Who are you hear with then?"

"Not that it's your business but I'm here with Jasper."

"Whitlock?" He questioned.

"Yes." Bella snapped.

"I didn't mean anything by it. He hasn't been to one of these things in months."

"So he has a ranch to take care of." Bella replied getting up.

She was tired of talking to the man and wanted him to leave her alone. Not to mention the weird feelings she had about him. She started to walk away when he grabbed her arm tightly.

"You tell Whitlock he needs to sell or else." He let her go and walked away.

Bella ran to Jasper's truck and locked herself in it and waited for Jasper to take them home. The guy really creeped her out and she didn't want to face him again.

She hadn't realized that she had fallen asleep and woke up out of fear when she heard the truck thunder to a start. She jumped and threw her hands to the door handle and the arm rest in the center of the seat. Only she didn't grab the arm rest but Jasper's arm.

"Sorry." Bella mumbled as her blush spread across her cheeks.

Jasper just nodded and backed up the truck so they could leave. The party was still in full swing but they were leaving.

"You don't want to stay longer?" Bella said.

"Na. I got get some sleep. I told Peter I would help him out with his pipes tomorrow. One of the burst so they have no water right now." Jasper told her.

Bella had a feeling jasper wasn't telling the whole truth but didn't push it. She shrugged and put her seat belt on so jasper wouldn't get in trouble if he was pulled over.

"Are you feeling all right I noticed that you left the part and climbed into the truck which I had to unlock when I went to leave?" Jasper said.

"No I'm fine it's just one of the guys there was really creepy and I just wanted to get away from him and the only place I could think of was your truck."

"Who was it?"

"I don't know he never said his name. He had long dark hair that was greased back that made him look like a dark haired Draco and I don't think he was American."

"The only person I can think of is Aro. He and his brothers were the one's spotted on out land a few weeks ago."

"You think they are the same ones that I spotted yesterday?" Bella asked.

"Maybe but he wasn't the one you saw so he must have been doing something else. I know he and his brothers are planning something I don't know what but I know they are." Jasper replied.

"Jasper, Aro said something to me before I took refuge into your truck." Bella said nervous about how Jasper would react.

"He didn't hurt you did he?"

"No" Bella lied thinking about the burse that was sure to appear on her arm.

Jasper realized his grip on the steering wheel slightly before asking "What did he say to you?"

Bella looked at him not sure where to start. She turned and looked out her window.

"Umm… He said quote 'Whitlock he needs to sell or else.' It was really creepy the way he said it too." She finally said.


	14. Live It Up Brantley Gilbert

_**Live it Up ~ B**__rantley__** G**__ilbert_

_**She's made up her mind**_

_**This mistakes going to have a name**_

_**She's in for the nine**_

_**Awe but she just turned 18**_

_**It's a matter of time**_

_**Before she hits these streets**_

_**You say it ain't right**_

_**Aw but she don't wear no ring**_

_**Ah to hell with all the small town small talk I've had enough**_

_**It ain't their place to judge**_

_**Man I am giving up**_

_**And I said if you can't live it down**_

_**Might as well live it up**_

_**You live and you learn man**_

_**The worlds going to turn, ain't going to stop you**_

_**And I said if you can't live it down**_

_**Might as well live it up**_

_**Yeah forgiveness is yours in the hands of the Lord**_

_**Ain't nothing they can do**_

_**Hell live it up**_

_**So let the sinless man, cast the first stone**_

_**And may the judgment in my life, belong to God alone**_

A girl with short dark hair walked up a long gravel drive way to see a friend she hadn't seen in months. They along with another friend had left on their own for college along. While one would pick up the phone when she called if they could reach it the other wouldn't even pick up a cell phone and text her. She was scared and had no idea what to do. She left her boyfriend behind hoping to protect him. She didn't want this mistake mess up both of their lives even though she didn't see it as a mistake.

The cold snow falling down made her shiver harder than she ever had back home. Not being able to take longer steps along the gravel drive she took shorter ones that made her long walk even longer. She had hoped to make it to the house faster than this but the cabbie refused to drive further up the road with all the snow falling which was more than she expected. Plus bigger snowflakes had started to come down upon her. She had looked up to the sky when she took a moment to breathe and noticed some white smoke rising in the air. She wasn't sure what it was but shook it off until she got further along the road and could really see what it was but she couldn't see a thing through all the snow.

Even with all her feelings of despair gripping her mind she gripped her bag and continued her trek to the house she was longing to see and to the friend she was hoping would help her. She had talked to her on the phone a few days ago but didn't want to talk about without it being face to face. I mean the news she had for her friend wasn't something you could just throw out there and have everything be all hunky-dory.

She continued her walk for what seemed like hours and finally made it to the old country house that looked like it had been a small hotel in 1840's and could be considered a bed and breakfast in today's world. She trudges further up the path that led to the house and up the stairs of the porch. She knocked on the blue painted door but no one came and answered the door. With no car or truck in the drive way she wasn't sure when they would be home.

She took refuge from the howling winds in the alcove that held the door. Using her bag she brushed away the light layer of snow before putting her bag down and sitting on it. She took her phone out and sent a quick message to Bella asking if she was going to be home any time soon and that she needed to talk and needed to talk to her some time soon. She leaned against the side of the alcove that met with wall that had the door frame.

**~!~**

Bella and Jasper had stopped off at a small grocery store to get some food that was already made. They were both hungry but neither wanted to cook and there wasn't any frozen pizzas in the house. Jasper's mother had forbidden them from the house because "Growing human's need real food not junk."

"Just grab something it'll be out of the house before my mother get's home." Jasper said.

Bella had been looking at a freezer.

"I'm not hungry any more. Just get a pizza if you want." Bella replied walking away.

"Bella what is your problem?" Jasper asked walking after her.

"Well let's see a creepy guy walks up to me at a party where I only know one person and tells me to tell you to sell whatever the heck they want. Of course I'm going to be a little off." Bella said snapping.

Bella not wanting to talk with Jasper anymore walked away. She found herself looking at the small selection of books the store had. Maybe she could find something to read over winter break. There wasn't much of anything that interested her. So she grabbed the book that was a fictional take on the assassination on Abraham Lincoln. She had always been fascinated with history mainly the Civil War and the titanic.

She took the book up to the register and laid it down on the counter.

"This all Ma'am?" asked the cashier.

"Yes." Bella replied.

"Hold on put this with it." Called Jasper's voice from behind Bella.

"Jasper. Good to see you." The bottle blonde cashier said.

"Jessica." Jasper replied.

"I'm surprise to see you out in this storm. I thought you'd be home with your mama."

"My mother is with Peter and his wife." Jasper replied.

"So you thought you would have fun with a girl while she was gone." Jessica said gesturing to Bella.

"No. Bella here is working out at the farm she goes home to see her father this Sunday." Jasper told her. "Now could you please finish up with the gossip you are going to tell everyone about me and ring up what I put on this counter already?" he added in an angry tone.

Bella had to bite back a laugh. The woman known as Jessica had been trying and failing to flirt with Jasper. If Bella wasn't so frustrated with Jasper at the moment she wouldn't have found it as funny as she did.

Jessica finished ringing up the items and threw them carelessly into a plastic sack and sent Jasper and Bella on their way. Bella grabbed the book she wanted out of the bag and handed Jasper the ten bucks to cover the cost of the book. Jasper tossed the bag into the back of his truck which was filled with snow for the ten to fifteen minutes they had been in the store.

They got back to the house in no time even with the snow. When they pulled up to the house Bella spotted a dark shape leaning against the door. Jasper parked the truck and got out along with Bella. He grabbed the bag and slowly crept up the stairs. When they got close enough Bella could see who the girl was.

"Oh my God. Jasper help me get her inside she is cold. Possibly has hypothermia." Bella yelled.

"Why we don't know who she is."

"I do she's my friend. Now help me get her in side."


	15. GreyhoundBoundForNowhere Miranda Lambert

**G****reyhound**** B****ound**** F****or**** N****owhere ~ ****Miranda Lambert**

**Rain on the window makes me lonely**

**And time keeps on passing so slowly**

**The old man sitting next to me is falling asleep**

**On a Greyhound bound for nowhere**

**The sun's going down on my misery**

**Another day gone by with broken dreams**

**That telephone I hear ringing, I keep wishing it was you**

**On a Greyhound bound for nowhere**

"Should I trust her?" Jasper asked.

"She's my friend and wouldn't do a thing to an animal even if she hated them." Bella replied. "NOW help me get her in side before she dies from hypothermia." Bella added in a snippy tone.

The snow that had fallen was close to twelve inches deep. The girls legs where nearly covered. The girl was a sickly pale and had a blue tinge to her lips like she had been laying there for hours before Bella and Jasper had found her. Bella had Jasper pick up the girl while she grabbed the girl's bag. Bella could see the girl was slightly if not completely hypothermic. She was shivering and hadn't stopped and was nearly covered in snow when they found her.

"Where do you want me to put her?" Jasper asked when they got into the door.

"On the couch for now. We need to get her warm and none of the guest rooms have sheets on the beds." She replied.

"I'll put new sheets on the bed in the room next to yours." Jasper told her.

"I'm gonna go look for some dry clothes to get her in."

Bella walked to her room and grabbed the warmest clothes she had. She walked out of her room to see Jasper taking the girl into the guest room. Bella raised her eyebrows at him.

"Figured it would be better to change her in the guest room than on the couch in the living room." He replied to the look Bella had been giving him.

He placed the girl on the bed and left the girl and Bella alone in the room. Bella changed rather slowly so she didn't hurt her at all. It took her about twenty minutes to change her. The girls dark hair was sopping wet take a towel from the hall closet Bella dried the girl's hair as best she could. she tossed the towel where she has placed the wet clothes and turned to tuck the girl in so she would warm up and leave the hypothermia behind.

"Is she okay?" Jasper asked from behind the closed door."

Bella grabbed the close and stepped out of the room.

"I hope she'll be fine we'll have to wait until she wakes up to take her temp if she gets worse we will have to take her to the hospital even if it is by horse back." Bella replied to him heading for the laundry room.

Once she was done she took the girls wet clothes and the towel and placed them in the dryer along with the clothes from the girl's bag which were also wet from the snow. She didn't bother splitting them up like she would do when she normally did laundry. She didn't see the harm in having them all together if they were just drying.

She turned her back to the dryer and washer and slid down the front of the dryer. She rubbed her hands against each other to gain more warmth in them. She hadn't heard Jasper follow her in to the room and was startled when he spoke.

"So who is she?" Jasper asked.

"She's one of my two best friends. I have no clue what's up with her and why she's here. I don't even remember giving her the address."

"Thanks for telling me all that but I meant what is her name." Jasper replied.

"Her name is Angela." Bella replied.


	16. I Had One, One Time Josh Turner

**I Had One, One Time – J**osh** T**urner

**I had one, one time  
Oh I had one, one time  
Maybe I've lost my mind  
But I had one, one time**

"Her name is Angela." Bella replied. "And I have no idea why she is here."

"Do you know of any one that would want to hurt her?" Jasper asked.

"No. The last I heard from her she was happy and moving in with her boyfriend down in Florida." Bella told him.

"I don't mind it and I don't think my mother will mind it if she stays but you better make sure that she doesn't have any trouble coming this way."

"I will. I don't think she does but I'll ask her when she wakes up." Bella replied going back to the room Angela was in.

She sat down in the chair across from the bed. She watched as Angela slept and soon fell asleep herself. It was hard to believe she could even sleep in the uncomfortable chair.

When she woke up Angela was still asleep and someone had put a blanket over her. She assumed it was Jasper because his mother hadn't been home. She threw the blanket over the arm of the Chair and went to hunt down Jasper who was likely in the barn. Bella got herself a small breakfast and took some toast up to Angela incase she wanted something to eat. Before leaving Angela alone Bella wrote a short note saying that she had left to find Jasper and would be back really soon.

Before leaving the house Bella buddle herself up tightly and locked the door. She made her way slowly to the barn and didn't find Jasper in any of the stalls. She checked the office and no Jasper again. She decided to Check the bunk house none of the hands were there having gone home to their family's for Christmas Holiday.

There was only one light on in the bunk house and it was seeping through the open door. Bella opened the door further and didn't see jasper in the main living area of the bunk house. She decided to check the bedrooms knocking on each door before going further. The first room held nobody. The second one had a straggling farm hand that had no family in the area. The last bedroom had nobody. Bella walked out of the room closing the door. Frustrated that she hadn't found Jasper Bella kicked the couch hurting her foot which didn't help the frustration.

Bella slammed the bunk house door on her way out. She was frustrated and worried that she couldn't find Jasper and had a bad feeling something was going to happen if it hadn't happen already. Walking back to the house she noticed other tracks in the snow other than hers. _Hopefully they are Jasper's _Bella thought. Bella kicked the snow of her boots before walking into the house and closing into the door.

She heard sounds coming from the kitchen.

"Jasper!" She called.

No one answered. So she called again and still nothing but the noises from the kitchen continued. She slowly walked towards the kitchen. When she got there she saw Jasper with a split lip and bloodied knuckles drinking some kind of amber liquid from an old mason jar.

"Jasper what happened to you?" She asked.

"I got into it with someone trying to hurt one of my horses." He replied.

"What happen to them?" Bella asked.

"They got away. I think I passed out for a while though."

"Don't you need to go to the hospital you look pretty bad." Bella replied.

"I know but _**this**_ farm is all my family has. I can't have someone destroying it like we were back in the Civil War." Jasper replied.

"I get the feeling it's the same one my dad has concerning his job." Bella replied.

"And what does he do?" Jasper asked.

"He's the Chief of Police of Forks. It's completely small time but he loves the heck out of it." Bella said smiling at the thought of her dad.

"I remember my dad being that way when I was younger. I guess somewhere along the way I started to think like that too."

"I think that's a good thing. Your dad would be proud of you at least."

"You might want to go and check on your friend. I heard her moaning when I came in."

"She probably has a fever from that storm she was in last night and thanks for the blanket by the way."

Jasper didn't say anything to Bella just stared at the half empty glass in front of him. He shook the nagging feeling off of him and poured what was left of the drink back into the bottle and put the bottle back into the cabinet. He turned to trudge up the stairs to change out of his snow soaked clothes.

"JASPER!" Bella screamed.

"What is wrong?" Jasper asked.

"I think she needs to get to the hospital. She has an extremely high fever and won't even let me touch her." Bella replied.

"Check her bags for her ID and anything else we'll need at the hospital. I'll get the truck ready." Jasper told Bella.

Bella nodded yes and started looking for Angela's information. She found it in a packet at the bottom of her bag along with her ID. After setting the documents aside Bella put Angela in warmer clothing for the weather outside but not anything she would mind getting cut up if they needed to be.

Jasper came back up to the room and took Angela down to the truck. Bella got it first sitting in the center so Jasper could set Angela down closest to the passenger door. They got to the hospital in no time (Jasper had gone slightly over the speed limit).

When they pulled up Jasper parked as close as he could to the doors and then got Angela out and rushed her into the doors with Bella following close on his heels. Japer placed Angela on a stretcher that a nurse had brought out.

Bella grabbed the forms from another waiting nurse and started to fill out what she could. After she was done Bella took the insurance card she found and Angela's ID and handed them over to the Nurse standing at Nurses Station.

Worried and tired Bella sat down in one of the old plastic chairs that had been placed in the waiting in the room. Jasper sat down next to her but didn't say anything. Hours passed without any news (mainly because they weren't related to Angela) they had eaten both lunch and dinner in the hospital cafeteria. After eating dinner they found new chairs to sit in and Bella soon found herself falling asleep and it wasn't long until her head slipped off her hand and hit Jasper's sholder.


	17. Saving Amy Brantley Gilbert Pt1

**Saving Amy – B**rantley** G**ilbert

**I'll kiss the tears right off her face**

**When I walk her through these gates**

**Feel her heartbeat next to mine**

**Make up for lost time**

**God I thank you everyday**

**For giving a her that ounce of faith**

**That led her right back here to me**

**And most of all for saving Amy**

**Saving Amy**

**Thank you god for saving Amy**

Bella and been asleep in the waiting room for twenty minutes when the doctor came out and woke her up.

"Are you here for a Ms. Angela Webber?" the doctor asked.

"Yes." Bella replied.

"Are you family?" the doctor asked.

"No but her family is all the way up in Washington. She has no one else here." Bella mumbled.

"I'll bring you up to her floor but I won't let you in her room." The doctor replied.

"Thank you Dr…."

"Dr. Cullen." The doc replied.

Bella and Jasper followed the blond doctor to a bank of elevators at the end of a long hallway. There were signs telling them which way to a particular area of the hospital. The tiles were white and the walls were white with a gray tint to it on the lower half and textured wallpaper on the upper half. The hospital was seven floors. The seventh floor was where you went when you were having problems with your mind and the second floor was for maternity and Bella had no idea what the other floors were for.

Bella was worried for her friend and couldn't even be in the room with her. She had not even been able to tell Angela's parents. She still had the home phone number that belonged to Angela when she lived at home and decided to try it again after they got to the waiting room. Jasper took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Bella looked at him and gave him a nod of thanks but slipped her hand out of his.

They stepped into the elevator that came down. A couple with a blue stuff dog got in with them. Dr. Cullen gave the couple a nod.

"Press two please." The woman said.

The Dr. Cullen pressed the button didn't press any others. The elevator went up and its stop was signaled by a _ding. _The couple got off and went left while Bella and Jasper followed the Doctor right.

"Dr. Cullen could you please tell me why Angela has been placed here on the Maternity floor?"

"I have my patients as long as there is room on the floor placed here because I believe it to be the cleanest floor in the hospital except for the operating rooms."

"Thank you." Bella replied even thought she believed there was something else the doctor wanted to say but didn't.

Dr. Cullen led Bella and Jasper to the waiting room which looked to be the center of the hospital. They sat down on the only couch in the waiting room.

"This is the waiting room as you can tell. Now if Angela wants to see you when she wakes up I'll come and get you but until then you'll have to wait here." said Dr. Cullen.

"Could you tell us how long it will be until Angela wakes up?" Bella asked.

"At the moment I am not sure it could be hours or a day or two. I can't get into any more detail without giving any medical information away." Dr. Cullen replied before leaving.

Jasper grabbed the TV remote from the coffee table. "Anything you want to watch?" he asked.

"I've always wanted to see that Gettysburg show on the history channel but you don't have that at your place." Bella replied.

"Well the history channel is offered here at the hospital as you can tell but the show you want to see is not on right now." Jasper said flipping through the channels.

"Turn it to CMT Dukes of Hazard should be on." Bella replied.

Jasper started laughing at her.

"What?" Bella asked.

"You watch that show?" Jasper asked.

"Yes when nothing else is on and now that I think about it CSI New York should be on check for TNT for that."Bella replied.

"Well which one do you want? Dukes and New York they are both on." Jasper replied.

"New York I have seen just about every episode of the dukes." Bella Replied.

**~!~**

Ben Chaney had just gotten off his twelve hour weekend shift at Wal-mart. It was long and tiring and he never wanted to do it again. He had his mind on two things. Getting home for food and to see his girl friend.

"Cheney." Someone called from behind.

"What I got off at ten." Been replied.

"I know and the ring you ordered is in."

"But you said it would take four to eight weeks I only ordered it two weeks ago."

"Well its finished do you want it or not?"

"Yeah sure how much?" Ben asked pulling out his wallet.

"350.89." the man replied.

Ben swiped his card for the ring because he didn't have enough cash on him to pay for it that way. Ben left the store and got into his truck it was small but it was enough to get him around till he had the money to get a better one.

He got home to the apartment he shared with Angela. They had only been living together for a few weeks so there were still some of her unpacked boxes in the entry way and hall way. He checked the kitchen, living/dining area and the bathroom and didn't find her. He looked in the bedroom expecting to see Angela sleeping but she wasn't there.

Ben started to freak that something happened to Angela. He ran to the kitchen to get the phone and call the cops. Only he stopped just as he was about to grab the phone. He saw a white piece of paper taped to the freezer door.

The piece of paper turned out to be an envelope. He pulled the letter inside out. He recognized Angela's handwriting at once. It was blotchy in spots and he had assumed that she had been crying when she wrote it.

_Ben,_

_I am sorry that I left like this but I needed to talk to someone and it needed to be a friend. The closest friend I have is in Texas. I am fine and will be fine. I send you a message when I get there to let you know I am safe._

_Love always_

_Angela_

The envelope and letter slip from his hands as he leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor. He had no idea what could have caused Angela to run. They always told each other everything even after her dad passed on.

Ben decided that he would follow Angela where ever she went and she said she was going to Texas so he would head there first. He looked through all the letters she had gotten from her friends until he found that it was Bella that was in Texas.

He found what he hoped to be Bella's number in an address book that Angela kept after graduating high school so she could keep up with her friends. He entered the number in his phone and found an envelope in the box of letters with Bella's address and headed for the airport.

After getting his ticket Ben called Bella.

**~!~**

_He Bella this is Ben Angela's boyfriend if she's there please tell her I'm on my way to see her. I don't know why she left but I want to see her._

Bella just stared at her phone. So Ben didn't even know that Angela was gone.

"Bella are you okay?" Jasper asked her handing her a cup of coffee.

"Fine. Angela's boyfriend is on his way. He didn't know that she was even gone."

"Yeah So?"

"He's headed to the house where no one is at. We have to get to the airport so we can get him there and bring him here." Bella replied.

"What about Angela?" Jasper asked.

"Could you go and get him? I'll write his name on a piece of paper and you hold it up for any flight from Florida to Texas."

"Not really what I want to do at two o'clock in the morning _but for you anything_." Jasper replied.

Bella walked to the nurses' station and asked for a blank piece of paper and a marker. A small impish looking nurse handed her both with a stern look. Bella took them and hurriedly in big bold letters wrote _Ben Cheney_ so that been could see it form far away.

"Here." Bella replied handing Jasper the sign when she was done.

"I'll see you again when I have him." Jasper replied.

"See you." Bella replied. "Be Careful." She added after thinking about the snow.

"I will." Jasper replied heading for the elevator.

Bella sat back down on the couch and fell asleep.

**~!~**

Ben's flight took longer than expected because it got delayed because of the storm raging around parts of Texas. He had an hour left on the flight and couldn't sleep at all. Time must have gone by faster because what felt like minutes to Ben was an hour.

_Please put your trays up and put your seats in the upright position and put on your seat belts on we'll be landing shortly._

Ben did as he was told and sure enough ten minutes later they were landing in Texas. He grabbed his bag from the over head compartment and got off the plane once he was allowed too. Walking out of the arrival gate had Ben looking for the place to hail a cab. He didn't find one instead he saw a man holding a sign with his name.

"That's me." Ben said walking up to the man.

"Bella sent me." The man said shaking Ben's hand.

**Hope you like please leave a review.**


	18. Saving Amy Brantley Gilbert Pt2

**Saving Amy – B**rantley** G**ilbert

**I'll kiss the tears right off her face**

**When I walk her through these gates**

**Feel her heartbeat next to mine**

**Make up for lost time**

**God I thank you everyday**

**For giving a her that ounce of faith**

**That led her right back here to me**

**And most of all for saving Amy**

**Saving Amy**

**Thank you god for saving Amy**

Bella had fallen asleep after Jasper left to pick Ben up. She had no idea why Angela was here and why she didn't tell Ben what was going on with her. He loved her and would do anything for her him flying to Texas after a twelve hour shift was proof enough.

She was woken up by someone shaking her lightly. Bella figured it was Jasper so she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Only it wasn't Jasper. It was his brother Peter.

"Peter what are you doing here?" Bella exclaimed.

"Allen got sick. He had a fever to high to keep him home." Peter replied. "But that doesn't explain why you are here and on the maternity floor no less." Peter added.

"Jasper and I got a visit from a friend of mind and she got sick her doctor prefers to have his patients on this floor." Bella replied. "I don't actually know what is wrong with her but since I am not family they will not tell me a thing."

"So where is my brother?" Peter asked.

"He's at the airport picking up Ben my friend's boyfriend. They should be back soon but with all the snow I am not so sure." Bella said.

"Well Allen is up on the third floor if you want to visit. Send my brother up when he gets here." Peter said before walking away.

Tired but not wanting to go to sleep again Bella walked over to the small coffee station they had in the waiting room. She made a cup of coffee with lots of sugar and cream. She sat down and started to watch Dukes of Hazard because it was the only thing on after CSI: New York went off.

When jasper finally did get back it was almost morning. Numbers was on TNT and she was almost asleep when he called her name. Bella quickly sat up she didn't see Ben behind Jasper.

"Where is Ben?" she asked.

"Calming himself down. He's a little freaked that Angela is in the hospital. I don't blame him and we don't even know what's wrong with her if anything is." Jasper said sitting down.

"I hope he's here before the Dr. Cullen comes by." Bella commented. "Maybe he could talk the good doctor into us letting us see Angela."

"You don't want to sit down long. Peter is here because Allen got a high fever so they are keeping him here over night. He's up on the third floor if you want to see them."

"How did you know Peter was here?" Jasper asked standing up.

"He woke me up a few minutes after you left." Bella replied.

"Well I am going to go see them. I'll be back in awhile."

"I don't mind go see your family." Bella said. "I need to be here for Ben and Angela anyway."

Jasper walked away after he waved good bye to Bella who did the same but quickly turned her attention to the TV.

_**~!~**_

Ben Chaney was a nervous young man. His girlfriend was in the hospital and he had no idea why. She had even left him because she couldn't even talk to him about what was wrong with her. He was sitting outside the hospital not wanting to go inside because of the fear he had that Angela was seriously ill or injured.

He had been outside for the past twenty minutes after he and the man named Jasper arrived at the hospital. Jasper had kindly left him alone the whole ride to the hospital and allowed him to be alone once they arrived.

"Ben?" a voiced asked from behind him.

"Yes." He said jumping up and turning around. "Bella where is Angela? Is she okay?" Ben asked starting to mumble.

"I came down because the doctor finally got a call from Angela's mother saying that he was to let me in the room. I came to find you because you should see her first." Bella said. "So grab your bag and I'll take you to her room."

Ben grabbed his bag like Bella said to and turned to walk into the hospital. Ben couldn't get over the size of it. The one back home in Forks was four stories including a basement. The cold air flew in the doors behind them causing Bella and Ben to shiver. Bella led him over to a bank of elevators and pressed the number two button when they got into one.

"Look for room two sixty one." Bella said looking at the signs on the doors.

"Why are we on the maternity floor?" Ben asked.

"The doctor likes to keep his patients on this floor because it's one of the cleanest in the hospital." Bella told him.

"Found it." Ben said referring to the door.

"You go first." Bella said urging been forward.

Ben opened the door slowly and walked in. Bella followed him in. Angela wasn't awake so she didn't great them. Her breathing was steady. Ben rushed over to her and grabbed her had gently. Bella walked out giving him some privacy.

"Please wake up Angela." Bella heard Ben say as she was leaving.

**~!~**

"_Mommy." A small voice yelled._

_A small woman with long dark hair turned around to see the little girl holding a bunch of wild flowers._

"_Who are those lovely flowers for?" the woman asked._

"_You Mommy." The little girl replied._

"_Come on let's go put them in a vase before daddy gets home."_

"_Oh can we use the pretty blue one that Auntie Bella sent for Christmas?" the little girl asked._

"_Yes Charlene if we can find it."_

_The little girl ran into the house. Petals from her flowers falling of the whole way. After putting the flowers in a vase the little girl was put to sleep in her room for a nap. The woman got down stairs and sat down on the couch and fell asleep with her hands resting on her stomach. She was glad that she lasted long enough to get her daughter to sleep up stairs._

_During her sleep she felt some one grip her hand tightly. __**"Please wake up Angela." **__ A male voice said._

**_Hope you like kind of cheesy there at the end but please leave a review._**


	19. Another Try Josh Turner

_**Another Try Josh Turner**_

_**There's no changing things that we regret,  
the best that we can hope for is one more chance.  
If the hands of time could just move in reverse,**_

_**I wouldn't make the same mistake again with her**_

Bella was still at the hospital with Angela. She had woken up an hour ago but hadn't said anything about why she left Florida. Bella and Ben both decided that they wouldn't want to push her into telling them why she left because they didn't want to make what was going on with her even worse.

"Bella." Someone called from behind her.

"Hey Jasper, how is Allen?" she asked.

"Fine his fever is down. How is Angela?" He countered.

"Fine I guess. She woke up an hour ago but I still don't know why she is here. Ben's in with her now." Bella replied.

"You hungry we've been here for hours now and haven't eaten a thing."

"Sure. I'll have to e at something otherwise Angela will get on to me when I see her." Bella replied grabbing her bag.

Jasper and Bella walked toward the elevator and got on when an empty car appeared. They kept quiet and didn't say anything. They just leaned against the back of the elevator and listened to the boring elevator music. They got off when they got to the first floor which didn't take long because they were on the second floor.

Bella got a premade sandwich and a bottle of water because she didn't think that she could stomach anything else. Jasper followed her and got the same thing except she grabbed a soda instead of water.

**~!~**

Ben had been sitting by Angela's bed ever since she woke up. She hadn't said anything but was awake. He didn't want to leave her and didn't plan to leave her unless she made him leave and he hoped and prayed that didn't happen.

"Ben?" Angela said.

"Are you okay do I need to get a doctor?" Ben asked.

"No. I am fine." She said.

"Why are you here?" Ben asked.

"I'm not sure. The last thing I remember is walking up to the door where Bella was staying. I haven't seen her since. How did you get here?" Angela rambled.

"I flew here after I got your note." Ben replied. "You know you can talk about anything with me." He added grasping her hand.

"I know I just got freaked out and it landed me in the hospital. I am so stupid." Angela said.

"You are not stupid. You ran to your closest friend so you could talk to them in person. All you wanted was a friend to talk to before me but no one was in Florida with us." Ben replied.

_Knock knock_

"Miss. Webber you are awake." The doctor said when he walked in. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm fine." She replied. "Tired but fine."

"That usually happens after surgery." He said.

"Surgery?" Ben and Angela said at the same time.

"I am sorry but I can't discuss the details…"

"You can say why I had surgery he's my boyfriend."

"Are you sure?" the doctor asked.

"Yes now tell me why I had surgery." Angela snapped.

"You had surgery because of an Ectopic pregnancy or tubal pregnancy…"


	20. Would You Go With Me Josh Turner

_**Would you go with me – Josh Turner**_

_**Would you go with me if we rolled down streets of fire  
Would you hold on to me tighter as the summer sun got higher  
If we roll from town to town and never shut it down  
Would you go with me if we were lost in fields of clover  
Would we walk even closer until the trip was over  
And would it be okay if I didn't know the way  
If I gave you my hand would you take it  
And make me the happiest man in the world  
If I told you my heart couldn't beat one more minute without you, girl  
Would you accompany me to the edge of the sea  
Let me know if you're really a dream  
I love you so, so would you go with me**_

"You were pregnant?" Ben asked.

"I didn't know for sure. I wanted to talk to someone but I couldn't talk to you. I was so scatter brained with my dad being gone and everything. I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Angela said as tears started to fall.

Ben turned to the doctor. "Is she okay?" he asked.

"She is fine. It will be harder for her to conceive children in the future because we had to remove the…"

"I get it." Ben said cutting off the doctor. "So she isn't pregnant now?" he added.

"No she is not. I'll leave you two alone to talk." The doctor said leaving the room after he finished checking Angela's vitals.

"I'm sorry." Angela said again when Ben got up and turned his back to her.

"Why didn't you want to tell me?" Ben asked.

"You told me the week before you didn't want any kids till you were done with college." Angela replied.

"I would have been there for you my mother would have killed me had I at least not been there for you even though she would have pushed me to marry you and I would have but on our own terms not just because a baby was involved." Ben said sitting down on the end of the bed.

"You would marry me?" Angela asked.

"Yes and I still would when we get through all of this. There is too much emotional stress on you to even think about getting married right now." Ben said.

"I know. I guess it gives me some peace that you would do that." Angela replied.

"Do you want to see Bella?" Ben asked.

"Sure. I need to thank her for helping me."

"Then I should get Jasper to."

"Jasper?" Angela asked raising an eyebrow.

"The guy Bella is staying with slash working for." Ben replied.

"Fine, go find them. I have to question Bella about Jasper." Angela said with a grin.

**~!~**

"So what do you think is wrong with Angela?" Jasper asked Bella when they sat down.

"Well it would have to have been something big to make her fly all the way from Florida and that could be any number of things." Bella replied. "I just hope she is fine now." Bella added.

"She will be fine as long as she has Ben." Jasper replied.

"What do you mean by that?" Bella asked.

"He loves her and there is no way he would want her to get hurt even if it was an accident." Jasper replied. "He looks at her the same way my dad looked at my mom."

"So it's a good thing." Bella replied.

"Yes it is."

"Bella." A male voice called.

Bella turned toward the voice and saw Ben walking toward her.

"Ben shouldn't you be with Angela?" Bella asked when he got closer.

"I would be but she wants to see you and she sent me to find you." Ben replied. "She wants to see you to jasper." He added.


	21. Don'tItMakeYouWant2Dance MirandaLambert

_**Don't it Make You Want to Dance- Miranda Lambert**_

_**I've been gone for so long  
it feels so good just to get back home  
back to all my friends and all the faces I like to see**_

"Hi Angela." Bella said when she walked into Angela's room.

"Hi." Angela replied.

"Are you okay?" Bella asked.

"Oh I'm fine now. I just had no idea I was that bad."

"Hypothermia could do that to you." Bella said.

"It wasn't just hypothermia." Angela told her.

"What do you mean?" Bella said sitting down.

"I was pregnant…" Angela said trailing off.

"And you lost the baby." Bella finished in a solemn voice.

"Yeah but it wouldn't have mattered because it was an Ectopic pregnancy and I would have died if… if…"

"It's okay Ange I get it." Bella replied. "But why did you come all the way to Texas to talk to me and not talk to Ben?"

"I'm not sure. My dad had died months before and I was just scattered brained I guess."

"You know Ben and I would have been there for you. Alice I am not so sure about. I haven't heard from her in weeks other than a few scattered emails and even in those she seems kind of distant." Bella replied.

"Same thing with me except it's been months since I've heard from her." Angela said.

"I think a trip to New York is in order whenever you are able to go and if you want to go." Bella said.

"Of course I'd go but I think we should call her mother and Esme to see if they have heard from her." Angela replied.

"I only have Esme's number so I couldn't do much." Bella replied back.

"Okay enough about me and Alice what is up with you and the Jasper guy Ben was telling me about?" Angela asked.

"What do you mean?" Bella asked.

"I mean what is going on between the two of you?"

"Nothing is going on between Jasper and I." Bella replied.

"Then why do you blush like mad when ever his name is mentioned?" Angela asked.

"Who's name is mentioned?" Jasper asked walking into the room.

"No one." Bella lied.

"I think you are lying." Jasper replied.

"So where were you and Ben? You were right behind me when we came up." Bella said.

"I got stopped by Peter. He said Allen is able to go home after the doctor gives the okay." Said Jasper.

"Oh."

"So Ben said you wanted to say something to me Angela?" Jasper said turning to Angela.

"I wanted to thank you for helping me and helping Bella take care of me." Angela said.

"No need to. My mama raised me to know that it was better than to treat a woman like dirt no matter how much you dislike them or unknown them." Jasper replied.

"Oh well she did a good job." Angela told Jasper.

"Thank you. Do you two need anything? I have to go talk to Peter about something before he leaves." Jasper announced.

Bella and Angela looked at each other before looking at Jasper with Bella saying "Nope but thanks for the offer."

"Well I'll see you later." Jasper said.

"Bye Jasper." Bella and Angela said at the same time.

_**~*!*~**_

Jasper walked out of Angela's hospital room and passed Ben on the way to meet with Peter.

"Jasper wait?"

Jasper turned around. "What do you need Ben?" He asked.

"Was Angela okay when you went in?" Ben asked.

"She was fine. You can go back in there if you want." Jasper replied. "I'd like to stay with you but I have to meet with my brother."

"That's fine I was just wondering about Angela." Ben replied as jasper shook his hand and walked away.

Japer finally made it to his Nephew's room. Peter was the only one in the room at the moment with Allen.

"Where are Charlotte and Ellen?" Jasper asked after knocking.

"Charlotte went to feed Ellen." Peter replied.

"When she gets back I need to talk to you about the Voltaire brothers."

"Were still having problems with them." Peter said in an agitated tone.

"Yeah and they made a threat to Bella." Jasper replied.

"When the sam hell did they get close enough to do that?" Peter asked.

"At that party Garret threw out at Potts farm."

"I thought Garret hated them?"

"He does and Aro was the only one to say something to Bella."

"What did he say?" Peter asked worried.

"Whitlock needs to sell or else." Jasper replied.

"And that was all he said?"

"That's all Bella told me." Jasper replied.

"When Allen gets out of here we are going to have to plan on how to take the Voltaire brothers down." Peter said. "Even if we have to use you military background to do it."

"Peter I'll only do that if it comes to that point."

"Jasper you have been out of the Army for almost a year now you will be fine." Peter told him sternly.

"You don't know what it's like over there." Jasper replied.

"Yeah and what you learned over there may be the only way to get the Voltaire brothers off our backs and in Jail where they belong." Peter replied.

"I know they belong there. I'm just worried about what they would do to Bella let alone Ma." Jasper said.

"Yeah I worry about that to they could be connected with the Mob for all I know." Peter said.

"The mob seriously the closest thing to the mob in Texas is the Mexican drug cartel that was taken down three years ago." Jasper said.

"Dude how in the heck do you know about that you were over in Iraq when that all went down." Peter told him.

"Yes I was but we also had TV with CNN which covered the whole thing plus there were Ma's letters." Jasper said.

"You had TV over there and all you watched was CNN at least tell me you took a break and watch Speeders on TruTV." Peter replied.

"I like watching the crime shows on TruTV not the car chases." Jasper told Peter.

"So what's going on with you and Bella?" Peter asked.

_**~*!*~**_

To say the Voltaire brother's were pissed would be an understatement. They had been trying for the past two years to get hold on Whitlock Ranch. It was one of the largest ranches in the area maybe not in all of Texas but it was still worth a lot of money.

"Caius I need to speak with you." Caius declared from behind his rather large mahogany desk.

"About what?" Aro asked.

"The Whitlock's." Caius said.

"I told you Marcus and I have a plan ready and in place to get the farm by the end of the week." Aro said.

"And what the hell is that?" Caius asked getting agitated.

"Well we have a few months before the final part is in place. But we plan on making his life hell enough to where he has to turn over the farm as payment to us."

"There is no way that would happen."

"It would if we have someone he loves." Aro said.

"That won't work. He isn't seeing anyone."

"Well no but I believe that he is falling for a young girl that he and his family have employed." Aro told him.

"Fine but make sure your scouts are not seen by anyone in the employment of Whitlock Farms. The last time was too close." Caius said dismissing his brother.

Aro had walked out of his brother's office and went to talk with Felix and Afton to see if they had gone through any phases of the plan at that point.

"Afton where is Felix?" Aro asked upon reaching the barn they stored their cars in.

"He went to deliver the letter to Whitlock like you wanted." Afton replied. "I would have gone with him but I had to get this car ready for Marcus and his date with Maria why in this weather I don't know but he his your brother so maybe you have an idea." Afton added.

"Why is he going out with Maria?" Aro asked.

"Apparently she had gone out with Jasper for quite some time until she ran off with some James guy." Afton replied from under the hood of the Chevy impala he was working on.

"Why doesn't he take one of the more affluent cars?" Aro asked.

"Um… to quote your brother 'Maria is a Mexican who…" Afton started to say.

"Don't use that language with me." Aro snapped before Afton could finish. "But I do get what you mean." He added in a softer tone.

"I know no dirty language in front of the bosses." Afton said holding up his hands in surrender.

"You shouldn't use that kind of language anyhow. But whenever you are done with Marcus's car please get my Mercedes ready, I have a meeting I need to get to." Aro said.

"Yes. I was just doing a tune up on this one. Yours will be ready shortly." Afton said.

"I don't want a tune up I just want it washed and detailed." Aro said.

"Okay," Said Afton.


	22. White Noise Josh Turner

_**White Noise- Josh Turner**_

_**When the evenin' sun goes down crusin' through our little town  
Country girls and country boys showin' off hillbilly toys**_

"Angela come on your flight leaves in an hour." Bella hollered up the stairs.

"I'm done." Angela said coming down the stairs.

"All right let's get you to the airport." Bella said.

"I'm going to miss you." Angela told Bella.

"Yeah but you miss Ben even more than you do me so you should get home. He'll be waiting for you." Bella replied.

"I know I need to get back to my classes anyhow." Angela said.

"Yeah you better call me when you land and I mean it." Bella said in mock stern.

Bella then walked Angela out to the cab waiting for her and put Angela's bag into the trunk of the car.

"Call me." Bella said again after hugging Angela good bye.

"I will." Angela replied hugging her back before getting into the cab.

Bella waited on the porch as the car drove away. She continued to wave good bye until she couldn't see the car anymore. She turned around and walked back into the house to start cleaning. She had finished the kitchen and the down stairs bathroom before Jasper walked in from his day out with the cow herd.

"You see Angela off?" He asked whipping his hat off.

"Yeah, she left about an hour ago." Bella replied.

"You want to go for a ride on the new quarter horses we got in last week?" Jasper asked. "You look like you could use a ride to get your mind off things." He added.

"Are they broken in?" Bella asked, "Because I am not stupid enough to ride a stubborn horse."

"They are broken in no need to worry about one bucking you off unless they get spooked." Jasper replied.

"Fine just let me eat something and change." Bella replied.

Bella left to go upstairs and Change. It only took her ten minutes and she was back down in the living room where there was no Jasper to be found.

"Jasper?" Bella called.

"In the kitchen." He called back.

"What are you doing?" Bella asked.

"Making us dinner, I don't know how the long ride will take. So I figured we might as well take it." Jasper replied.

"Sure but we better head out so we can get back before the storm hits." Bella told him.

"Well I am done now so let's head out." Jasper said putting the last sandwich into a basket.

"Why are we taking the quarter horses out when they are used for racing and not Ranch work?" Bella asked.

"These horses were use for both Ranching and Racing." Jasper replied. "The guy needs a little money so he had to sell his horses." He added.

"Oh." Bella replied.

"Here I'll help you on the horse." Jasper said when they got to the two waiting horses.

"I can get on myself" Bella replied.

"I know you can but you'd probably fall off liked you did the last time." Jasper replied with a grin.

"That was Peter's fault not mine." Bella told him.

"Fine get on the horse then." Jasper said backing away from the horse.

Bella smirked at him as she walked over to the horse and did get on the horse by herself after nearly slipping off the saddle.

"Told you I could do it." Bella replied from atop the horse.

Jasper attached the basket with the food in it to his horse before he pulled himself on to the horse designated for him.

The duo was soon on their way for their ride. Even though Bella had been there for months she hadn't really seen any of the property. She could now see the beauty in the color green that she hadn't been able to see back in her home town. The sun was now starting to set. She took a glance at Jasper and couldn't help but think about how handsome he was but quickly turned away.

"You okay over there we've been out here for twenty minutes now and you haven't said anything." Jasper said.

"I'm fine." Bella lied.

"You don't seem fine."

"Well it seems to be getting late." Bella replied.

"Don't worry will stop in a bit to eat and then head back." Jasper told her.

And true to his word Jasper stopped the horses in a little clump of trees. He hopped off un untied the basket from the side and then helped Bella down. After getting down from her horse Bella saw that Jasper also had a blanket with him.

Jasper took the blanket and spread it out on the ground. He sat the basket down before sitting down himself. Bella followed suit but didn't say anything. Jasper handed her a bottle of water and a sandwich. They ate in silence.

While they were eating a few sprinkles of rain fell down and within seconds of them finishing it started to pour.

"Sh*t Bella go get on your horse. I'll pick this up. We'll have to take cover in a cave about twenty yards from here. There is no way we could ride back in this weather." Jasper told her.

Bella listened and ran to get on her horse. Jasper ran around grabby the blanket and basket and tied them to his horse. She could tell they were on the edge of the property because of the fence that lined border.

Bella and Jasper rode until they found a cave on the back edge of the property when the storm started. Bella was already soaked to the bone. Jasper got off his horse and went to Bella and helped her off.

"Go just inside the cave but no further until I am with you." Jasper told her.

Bella shook her head and walked into the cave. From what she could see the cave was large and the horses could fit inside also.

"The storms were not supposed to be here until midnight." Jasper said walking into the cave.

"Are the horses safe out there?" Bella asked.

"Yeah they are find I have them under an area where three large trees clumped together to make an awning of sorts." Jasper replied. "Sorry your clothes are wet."

"It's not your fault." Bella told him.

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	23. LordHaveMercyOnACountryBoy JoshTurnerPT2

_**Lord Have Mercy On A Country Boy- J**__osh__** T**__urner_

_**Well, I live in the city but don't fit in  
You know it's a pity the shape I'm in  
Well, I got no home and I got no choice  
Oh, Lord, have mercy on a country boy**_

When I was young I remember well  
I'd hunt the wild turkey and bobwhite quail  
The river was clear and deep back then  
Had fishing lines tied to the willow limb

"Do you have anything to start a fire with? It's getting colder." Bella said to Jasper while shivering.

"You should probably take you top shirt off." Jasper said. "To keep the hypothermia away." He added at Bella's raised eyebrow.

"Okay." Bella replied.

"I'm going to go back out and get the basket and blanket." Jasper told Bella.

Jasper left Bella to get the blanket and basket like he told Bella he was going to do. He came back a few minutes later with the blanket shoved under his arm and the basket in his hand. Bella had still continued to shiver like she was before he left.

"I'll get a fire going." Jasper said.

"How we have no wood." Bella said shivering.

"There are trees with branches outside and my Pa taught me how long before I was even seven how to start a fire if I needed one and didn't have any matches which I happen to have in this basket." He told her.

"Oh I wasn't trying to be mean about it." Bella replied turning from him.

Jasper just set the basket down he unfolded the blanket and put it around Bella before walking away. He walked outside the cave and ripped some of the thinner branches off the trees. After he collected a good amount of wood he put it inside the cave near Bella who just looked at him. He walked back out and got rocks to keep the flames from reaching them when they slept. He shucked the leaves off the branches after arranging the stones and rocks he found in a circle. He then arranged a few of the branches in the area he deemed the pit. He took the leaves crumpled them up and put them in the center of the branches and lit them with one of his matches. He thanked God that the branches stayed lit.

"I'm sorry about getting snippy earlier. I just don't like being cold." Bella told jasper one he finished with getting the fire lit.

"That's okay. My aunt is similar to you only she doesn't like being hot." Jasper replied. He had begun to rub his shoulder.

"Is your shoulder okay? I've noticed that you have favored it from time to time." Bella said.

"It comes from two accident's I was in one was with my Mom and the other was from when I was in the army." Jasper said.

"You were in the Army?" Bella asked.

"Yes and Peter was in the Navy. He got out when he developed a heart condition that prevented him from doing the job he was paid to do and I got out after getting shot three different times and having a IED blow up near my ride."

"IED?" Bella questioned.

"Roadside bomb." Jasper told her.

"Have you thought about going back?" Bella asked.

"When my father was still alive I did but after he passed I couldn't leave Ma all by her lonesome."

"That's very nice of you. I couldn't do that for my Mother. My Father however I could do that for him." Bella replied.

"Why would you do it for your dad but not your mom?" Jasper asked.

"I feel more like a parent when I'm with my mom than I am suppose to and my dad just treated me like a daughter. He's a bit over protective but that's what happens when you are the daughter of a cop." Bella said with a smile.

"Do you miss your dad?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah; I didn't get to see him at Christmas like I wanted to so I hope I can go and see him around spring break." Bella replied.

"Well you should go. My mother would kick me back and forth across Texas if I didn't let you go." Jasper replied back.

"That sounds like her. She's been more of a mom in the short time I've known her than my own Mother." Bella spoke.

"You still cold?" Jasper asked as Bella continued to shiver.

"No. I'm fine. I tend to twitch out of nerves." Bella told him.

"You twitch?" Jasper asked with a smirk.

"Only when I got a bad case of nerves; which doesn't happen often." Bella told him.

"Is the storm the cause of your nerves?" Jasper asked.

"Nope."

"The cave?"

"Nope."

"Me?" Jasper asked pointing to himself.

"Yes but I don't know why." Bella lied; the blood rushing to her cheeks.

"I haven't done anything to cause that have I?" Jasper asked worried.

"No. You have been good and haven't giving me any reason to be nervous." Bella replied.

"So I just make you nervous by being me? Has this been the whole time you have been here or just recently?" Jasper asked.

"Recently."

"How recently?" Jasper questioned.

"Just before Angela started packing last night." Bella told him.

"OH. I have no idea what to say to that." Jasper replied.

"It was something she said just after you left the room that caused it." Bella added.

"What did she say that has you blushing like mad now?" Jasper asked.

"She said I quote 'If you get the chance to live out that Big & Rich song do it.'" Bella told him hiding her face.

"I don't have to ask what song she was talking about do I?" Jasper asked.

"Even if you did have to I rather you didn't." Bella replied.

"That bad?"

"Yeah." Bella told him.

"I probably would have been as bright red as you if I was still in the room when she said that." Jasper told Bella.

"Really?" Bella asked.

"Oh yes, I was always shy when it came to girls. My brother was the outgoing one. The only way he could get a girl like Charlotte to marry him anyway." Jasper replied with a smirk.

"I find that extremely hard to believe." Bella said.

"Well you better believe it." Jasper said slipping off his flannel shirt.

"What are you doing?" Bella said shielding her eyes.

"I was taking my shirt off so it could dry properly. Don't worry you won't be making truth of your friends request." Jasper said with a smirk. "Now let me see the shirt you took off." He added.

"What are you doing?" Bella asked.

"I am laying them out so they could dry better."

"Wouldn't it be better to hang them up above the fire?" Bella asked.

"Yes but I have no way of doing that. The floor of the cave is stone so I have no way of digging sticks into the ground." Jasper said.

"I hadn't realized it was completely stone. I guess I am just that numb." Bella replied.

"That's fine but this fire might not last long through the night and I have nothing to cut more branches down."

"And you are telling me this because?" Bella questioned.

"Because it would be a good idea for us to sleep next to each other; that and there is only one blanket." Jasper replied.

"Oh. I'm going to check on the horses." Bella said.

Bella had stood up from her seat because the situation had gotten a little to awkward for her and she needed a breather and checking on the horses would give her the time to do that. She got to the mouth of the cave and saw the storm was still brewing outside of it.

"Jasper I think we should bring the horses inside the cave even if it is just in the mouth of it." Bella called back to him.

"The storm that bad?" He asked walking over.

"Yeah take a look." Bella said pointing outside the cave. "If you got rope you can tie it to the reins and then tie it to the trees so they are still tied down." Bella added.

"Yeah that's a good idea but I don't have rope. If the reins are long enough I can still attach them from the one side. You go back by the fire. I'll bring them in." Jasper told her as he walked back out into the storm.

Bella sat down by the fire and watched as Jasper led the horses into the mouth of the cave. The horses seemed much happier now that they were out of the raging storm. Jasper walked over and sat down right next to Bella.

"I didn't mean to make you feel awkward or anything like that." Jasper said wringing his hands out of his own set of nerves. "My brother would be making fun of me with how nervous I am right now." He added.

"Would Peter really be that bad?" Bella asked looking at Jasper.

"That and then some." Jasper said smirking.

"Did he tease you like that in high school?" Bella asked.

"Yes and I lost some dates because of it too."

"I am so glad I don't have any siblings but Angela and Alice would do to me like Peter did and does to you." Bella replied.

"Don't worry we'll stick together." Jasper said throwing his arm around Bella's shoulders.

Bella turned to look at Jasper and Jasper turned to look at Bella and started to lean forward.

**Please please pretty please leave a review... or sub... or fave.**

**Maye**


	24. My kind of Crazy Brantley Gilbert

_**My Kind of Crazy- Brantley Gilbert**_

**Yeah and she's my kinda crazy  
The little games she plays  
Lord they'll never get old  
She's too cute to get on my last nerve  
The way she throws her little fits**

**Pokin' out her lip and bitin' mine when we kiss**  
**There ain't a fight that she can't win**  
**That's my baby**  
**And she's my kinda crazy**

Jasper was worried he and Bella had kissed a week ago and she hadn't said a thing to him since. She seemed fine after he kissed her in the cave because she had continued to talk to him.

"Okay tell me what has your panties in a twist." Peter Whitlock said to his brother after he messed up the same line several times in a row.

"For one I don't wear panties and the undergarments that I do wear are not in a twist." Jasper told him.

"Okay so what has you all riled up so to speak?" Peter asked.

"Nothing," Jasper lied.

"You. Are. Lying." Peter said emphasizing every word.

"And what makes you say that?" Jasper asked.

"That depressed look that has been on your face since that storm last week. And the fact that you and Bella never did answer the phone." Peter replied.

"Well I didn't hear the phone as I was out in the barn and wouldn't know about Bella." Jasper replied.

"You are lying about something and I will find out what it is." Peter said leaving the barn with a big grin on his face.

Jasper ignored his brother and slumped against the wooden walls behind him. He just stared at the horse in front of him rubbing his face in frustration thinking back to that night.

_Bella turned to look at Jasper and Jasper turned to look at Bella and started to lean forward and pressed his lips to Bella's. Bella stiffened a little but relaxed into the kiss. After a few minutes and a requirement of air to breath they pulled apart. Bella blushed and looked away._

"_I'm… sorry I didn't mean to Bella."_

"_It's fine Jasper. I just didn't suspect it." Bella replied._

_Bella had gotten up and walked away from Jasper. She had gone to the mouth of the cave and started to watch the raging storm. She was kind of glad that she wasn't in the old farm house where she would hear the creaks and cricks of the old wood that made up the home. She had watched too many scary movies over the years with Alice and Angela._

"_Bella are you all right? You seem kind of creepd out over there." Jasper spoke._

"_I'm fine just remembering watching old horror films that took place in areas like this." Bella replied._

"_What do you mean areas like this?" Jasper asked._

"_You know old abandon farm houses that stupid teenagers would dare each other to stay at for just a night. Then they start scaring the crap out of each other before the real killer pops up and starts slashing everyone to death." Bella replied._

"_So you watch horror films base in Texas." Jasper said._

"_Well not just Texas they were all based in small rural towns throughout the US." Bella replied finally turning around to look at jasper._

"_Yeah that's were all the classic horror films take place." Jasper said with sarcasm._

"_There is no need for sarcasm Jasper." Bella said._

_The pair had continued to banter back and forth like that for hours until finally Bella fell asleep against Jasper's shoulder. Jasper himself soon fell asleep and he had fallen asleep with one of his arms around Bella._

Jasper smile at the memory before pushing himself up off the floor. He dusted his pants off and went back to work cleaning the barn like he knew he had to do. He grabbed a shovel and bucket and started to clean out the stalls that needed to be cleaned. It was dirty smelly work but it had to be done and all the other hands had gone to visit family for the day. When he finished with the stalls. Jasper put up the horses and locked up the barn for the night and headed home.

"Jasper you better take them boots off before you dirty my floor again." His mother yelled at from the kitchen.

"They are out on the porch." Jasper called back.

"And take a shower. I know you stink from being in that sun all day." She called again.

"I already planned on it." He told her before turning to the stair case.

He started up the stairs. He knew Bella was home. He could hear the music coming from her bedroom. Her door was closed. He walked up to it and was about to knock before he decided against it and walked away from the door and to his room.

He shed his clothes and went to take a shower like his mother told him to.

"Dam it." He said when he saw there were no towels in his bathroom. He had giving up looking for them and went to turn on the water. He had to wait a while for the water to warm up and climbed in when it was ready. It took him a half hour to finish.

He climbed out and walked out into his room to get his clothes. He walked over to his dresser to pick out underwear, t-shirt and jeans to wear. There was a knock at the door but Jasper didn't hear it over the noise of the shower.

"Ahh… I'm sorry I didn't hear the water turn off. Your mom told me to bring you a towel." Bella said blushing redder that a rose and rushing out of the room.

Bella's scream had caused Jasper to cover up with the shirt he was clutching until she had long left the room. When he knew she was gone he rushed and pulled on a pair of boxers. He slipped the shirt he was holding on and then grabbed a pair of jeans from his closet. He pulled on some socks and boots before leaving his room to go down stairs to meet his brother.

Jasper found Peter out in a small barn they had renovated to use for parties. He was smoking a cigarette.

"You know mama and Charlotte both are going to kill you when they find out that you are smoking again." Jasper said making his brother jump out of his seat.

"Don't scare me like that." Peter said.

"Hey it's the little brother's job to scare the big brother." Jasper replied.

"I know. Now what's up with you? You said you wouldn't be out here until eight it's seven." Peter said.

"I finished early." Jasper said blushing at the thought of Bella walking in on him.

"Okay what has my little brother who did two tours in Iraq blushing like a virgin princess?" Peter asked.

"I would rather not talk about it." Jasper replied turning on the lights.

"Come on tell me or I'll tell mama." Peter threatened.

"You wouldn't." Jasper shouted.

"I would and I don't think you want your freshman year of high school to happen again." Peter said with an evil smirk.

Jasper cringed as he thought back to his fresh man year of high school.

_He was a surprisingly scrawny thing. He had come home the after the first day worried as heck about his gym class. They had to change out for gym and they also had to take showers after the class ended. Needless to say he did not want to go to gym the next day when he would have to dress out and shower with boys who were much bigger than him in more than one area. He came home to his mother waiting to talk to him. His mother went on to tell him that his father had been the exact same way but hit a growth spurt before the end of the summer before his sophomore year._

The memory had Jasper blushing ever redder.

"I got you now tell me what has you blushing other than the memory." Peter said.

"Bellawalkedinonmenaked." Jasper rushed.

"Okay say that again please because I have no dang clue about what you said." Peter said.

"Do I really have to?" Jasper asked.

"Yes." Peter replied.

"Bella walked in on me after I took my shower." Jasper explained.

"So were you visiting Rosie Palmer and her five sisters or did she just see your twig and berries?" Peter asked cracking up.

"The second one." Jasper replied simply.

"So she saw your twig and berries get over it. I am pretty sure a it's not the first time a girl has seen them."

"It's different with her." Jasper whined.

"How is different? Do you see her as a sister now?" Peter questioned.

"No I don't see her as a sister."

"Then what is it Jasper?" Peter snapped.

"I kissed her a week ago in that old cave on the edge of the property. It was after the storm started and we couldn't cross the creak because it was too deep by that point and the bridge had been swept away."

"Did it go further than a kiss?" he asked.

"No she would have run away if the storm hadn't been going on." Jasper told him.

"Did you try to take it further than a simple kiss at all?" Peter asked.

"No at least from my point of view I didn't." said Jasper.

_**~*!*~**_

When Bella heard Jasper's bedroom door close she made her way down stairs. She had been studding for the past few hours because of a test she had Monday morning in her college algebra class and hadn't had the chance to get something to eat.

"Hey Carolynn." Bella said walking into the kitchen.

"Hello Bella, could you do something for me?" Carolynn asked.

"Sure what do you need me to go?" Bella asked.

"I need to take the stack of towels to Jaspers room. He doesn't have any. Just leave them on the bed or dresser if he is in the bathroom." Carolynn told her.

"I'll be sure to knock before I go in." Bella said leaving the kitchen.

Bella went to the laundry room and grabbed the stack of towels off of the dryer and went up stairs to put them in Jasper's room. She knocked on the door but heard no answer. She figured she could hear the water still that he would be in the shower.

"Ahh… I'm sorry I didn't hear the water turn off. Your mom told me to bring you a towel." Bella said blushing redder that a rose and rushing out of the room.

Bella ran from the room as fast as she could and down the stairs and out the back door pass Carolynn who looked on to shocked to move. She was at the back of an old barn they turned into a place for parties. She couldn't be seen where she was hiding. She leaned against the barn and slid down the wall taking a few breaths on the way down.

Bella jumped away from the wall when she heard voices coming from inside the barn.

"_Don't scare me like that." Peter said._

Bella climbed up on some hay bales sitting under a window not far from her. She looked through the window and saw Peter putting out what she thought to be a cigarette and Jasper laughing his but off at him.

"_Hey it's the little brother's job to scare the big brother." Jasper replied._

"_I know. Now what's up with you? You said you wouldn't be out here until eight it's seven." Peter said._

"_I finished early." Jasper mumble._

Was he as embarrassed as I was? Bella thought to herself.

"_Okay what has my little brother who did two tours in Iraq blushing like a virgin princess?" Peter asked._

Bella had to shove her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing at Peter's comment. But she did feel kind of proud at the fact he served two tours in Iraq.

"_I would rather not talk about it." Jasper replied turning on the lights._

"_Come on tell me or I'll tell mama." Peter threatened._

"_You wouldn't." Jasper shouted._

"_I would and I don't think you want your freshman year of high school to happen again." Peter said with an evil smirk._

"_I got you now tell me what has you blushing other than the memory." Peter said._

"_Bellawalkedinonmenaked." Jasper rushed._

Bella couldn't understand what he said but she could see the blush on his cheeks because he had turned the lights on.

"_Okay say that again please because I have no dang clue about what you said." Peter said._

"_Do I really have to?" Jasper asked._

Is it really that bad? Bella asked herself.

"_Yes." Peter replied._

"_Bella walked in on me after I took my shower." Jasper explained._

"_So were you visiting Rosie Palmer and her five sisters or did she just see your twig and berries?" Peter asked cracking up._

The 'twig and berries' comment had Bella blushing and she wasn't even in the room with the two men and she could only imagine how red Jasper's face was because he wasn't facing the window anymore.

"_The second one." Jasper replied simply._

"_So she saw your twig and berries get over it. I am pretty sure it is not the first time a girl has seen them."_

Bella didn't know why but she felt a little jealous at that comment.

"_It's different with her." Jasper whined._

That comment made Bella feel a little better.

"_How is different? Do you see her as a sister now?" Peter questioned._

"_No I don't see her as a sister."_

Guess that is a good thing Bella thought.

"_Then what is it Jasper?" Peter snapped._

"_I kissed her a week ago in that old cave on the edge of the property. It was after the storm started and we couldn't cross the creak because it was too deep by that point and the bridge had been swept away."_

Bella was kind of surprised that Jasper had told his brother the truth. He hadn't even tried to speak with her after it happened; yeah she hadn't tried to speak with him either but how could she every time she tried her tongue got all tied up and she couldn't get a single word out of her mouth.

"_Did it go further than a kiss?" he asked._

"_No she would have run away if the storm hadn't been going on." Jasper told him._

Of course she would have the intensity of the kiss would have led to one thing and she was in no way and hell ready for that.

"_Did you try to take it further than a simple kiss at all?" Peter asked._

"_No at least from my point of view I didn't." said Jasper._

Bella knew he was telling the truth there because even from her point of view Jasper had been nothing but a gentleman toward her. Jasper had told Peter the truth he had not tried to take it further; but in truth had they continued to kiss like they had been Bella would have been made a woman right there on that dirty, cold and dark cave floor to the sounds of a raging storm.

_**~*!*~**_

Carolynn Whitlock was laughing to herself as she saw the young girl run out of the house and far away from her –as she assumed- naked son. Her only hope was that neither Bella nor Jasper was scarred for life because of it. If she had known he son would have been in his birthday suit she would have taken the towels herself but she was in the middle of cooking and did not want to leave the kitchen.

Carolynn also knew that something had happened between Bella and her son during that storm. What it was she had no idea and did not want to know what it was.

"Carolynn I've put Ellen and Allen down do you need me to help with anything?" Charlotte asked.

"Not a thing dear." Carolynn replied.

"What has the wheels turning around in your head?" Charlotte said.

"Jasper and Bella and they have both been acting odd the past week." Carolynn said.

"I know. Was that Bella that left Just now?"

"Yep. I sent her to take Jasper some towels because I was busy and I thing she got a little more than she bargained for." Carolynn replied.

The two women paused their conversation as they heard the front door open and closed.

"He went to see Peter." Carolynn said.

"Who's smoking in the barn acting like I won't find out." Charlotte said. "And honestly I would take smoking over drinking any day as long as he doesn't get to a two pack a day habit."

"Yeah and Jasper will be sure to scare him when he gets to the barn." Carolynn said with a smile. "Those boys are so predictable."

"I know which is why I believe that Jasper is just as embarrassed if not more so than Bella was and he's much older than her and has been caught by you with a girl."

"That happened only once and I only interrupted because I knew the girl was going to try and trap him and get his money which at that point still belonged to his father and I."

"Was the girl Maria?" Charlotte asked.

"Yes why do you ask?" Carolynn replied.

"Peter has told me some stories about her. She's tried to get her claws into Peter to. It wouldn't surprise me if she tried that again." Charlotte told Carolynn.

"Well if things go the way I think they will between Jasper and Bella then Maria better go back to Spanish village her parents immigrated from before Bella got her own set of claws into her."

"It's always the shy one's you have got to watch out for. I was quite until I met Peter and now look at me." Charlotte replied with a smirk.

"I remember you got arrested your senior year when Maria's sister pushed you away from Peter and started to kiss him. You punched her in the nose for it." Carolynn said. "And that's what made me thing you were perfect for Peter that and you were with him through his time in the navy."

"It was easy compared to any girl that had Jasper. Peter never went anywhere near as dangerous as Jasper did."

_**~*!*~**_

"Well Jasper I'm done talking. But I will leave you with this 'get your big boy pants and go talk to Bella." Peter said.

"How she ran out of the house." Jasper replied.

"She's at the of this very Barn." Peter whispered.

"How'd you know?" Jasper whispered back.

"I caught a glimpse of her in the window; now if she can hear us or not I do not know." Peter replied.

"Should I really talk to her?"

"YES! Now I'm gonna go check on mama and charlotte to see if they need any help with the food."

Jasper knew his brother was right. He had to make up with Bella now even if all they ever were was just friends. He walked back to the only part of the barn that couldn't be seen with the lights on and slipped out a door that was hidden there and walked around the barn to where he was just behind Bella.

Bella had turned around and screamed to high heaven when she saw Jasper standing there.

"Ahh... Shit Jasper. How long have you been standing there?" Bella asked.

"Just a few seconds and think of it as payback for walking in on me earlier." Jasper said with a smirk.

"Your mother told me you would be in the shower. She didn't say that you would be stark ass naked standing in front of a dresser." Bella replied.

"Well I'm sorry you saw as my brother put it 'twig and berries' and it obviously couldn't have been that bad. You knew what they looked like before you took anatomy in high school didn't you?" Jasper ranted.

"No they didn't offer the class at my school." Bella snapped. "And even then those books aren't detailed."

"Sorry." Jasper said trying to calm Bella down while reaching to grab Bella's hand.

"Don't touch me please." Bella said.

"Bella you are one of ten girls I've kissed my whole life."

"If you are trying to make me feel better you should stop trying because you are failing miserably." Bella told him.

"Sorry…"

"Sorry that you kissed a lot of girls or sorry that you are failing at making me feel better?" Bella asked cutting Jasper off.

"Dam it Bella I'm trying to apologize here." Jasper snapped back at her.

"Well you are doing a dam fine job at it." Bella yelled as she walked off toward the house.

Jasper just stood at the back of the barn looking defeated. He tried to make it better but he just made it worse. He knew his brother was going to make fun of him for this one for a long time or until he and Bella made up but that wasn't likely to happen any time soon. He decided to go and take a walk to clear his mind and soon found himself near a pond that him and Peter loved to hang out at. He had stated to walk back home when he got hit on the head. It hurt but didn't quite knock him out. It didn't take long for him to feel more blows from whoever knocked him on the head. He also knew it took a turn for the worse when he felt the cold cool edge of a blade pierced his skin, how deep it went in he wasn't sure. He just knew it hurt.

**hoped you like this chapter. I had fun writing it. Please leave a review.**

**Maye**


	25. Backwoods Boy Josh Turner

_**Backwoods Boy- Josh Turner**_

**Cause I'm a backwoods boy  
Grew up on a dirt road  
I'm a backwoods boy  
With no better place to go  
Waitin' on a deer, wishin' on a star  
I'll always be true to my heart  
Cause I'm a backwoods boy  
I'm a backwoods boy**

Peter, Charlotte and Carolynn Whitlock watched as a pissed off Bella Swan ran through the hose and to her room with it all ending with her slamming her door shut. Peter had gotten up to go and talk to Jasper but his mother and Charlotte had stopped him before he could. Charlotte had pushed him back down into his seat in the couch.

"He can fix it himself. He's the one who messed it up in the first place." Charlotte said before smacking Peter on the back of his head.

"I was going to talk to him not her." Peter said rubbing his head where she had hit him.

About an hour or so later Jasper had finally appeared. He had come walking through the house looking just as surly looking as Bella had before him. Only he was covered head to toe in mud with his shirt covered in rips along with the mud. This caused everyone (but Jasper) to raise their eye brows as he passed them. Carolynn was to speechless by her son's appearance to say anything.

But surprisingly it was only Peter who realized that Jasper was limping and wincing with each and every step he took up the stairs away from the prying eyes of his family. Peter also thought that Jasper's knuckles looked a little bruised or bloodied if not the both of them and that made him worry really bad for his little brother even more. He's (jasper) has never gotten angry over a single girl telling him no to a date before so Peter knew it was something else.

"Mama I am going to talk to him. Something is up." Peter said.

"What do you mean something is up Peter? I want to know what is going on with my son!" Carolynn snapped.

"Mama you know I'll find out what is going with Jasper. I always do when he gets like this." Peter said trying to calm his mother down.

"Fine just do it and find out what is wrong." Carolynn said looking away from him.

Peter felt bad for his mother. He and his father seemed to be the only ones to calm jasper down enough when he got really angry like he appeared to be when he came home. Peter walked up to Jasper's room and knocked on the door.

"Jasper its Peter I need to talk to you." Peter said.

"Did mom send you?" Jasper asked opening his door.

"No I sent my self. What happen to you?" Peter asked.

"I took a walk by that pond. I got hit from behind and fell down. Whoever attacked me must have thought I was down for the count because I got up and jumped on their back and started pounding on them."

"Jasper by the looks of it they did more than just hit you on the head. It looks like you were stabbed." Peter said.

"I'm fine the guy barely even nicked me." Jasper said relaxing in his chair.

"YOU were STABBED." A voice exclaimed from the hallway.

"Bella." Jasper said Jumping up from his seat in his chair.

"Jasper I can tell from here you need to get that checked out." Bella said pointed to a bright angry red mark on Jasper's stomach. "If you don't I'll tell your mother." She added.

"That would be un-called for." Jasper said wincing as he took a step toward her.

"No it's not. You need to go to the hospital. You could have broken bones or bacteria that can cause a bad infection." Bella said. "I've seen what happens to someone when a stab wound like that goes untreated and you may not apparently care about me but I don't think your mother or brother want to see you on your death bed." She added walking back to her room.

"Jasper you need to pull on your big boy pants and just tell the girl how you feel and quit putting your foot in you a$$." Peter said. "And you better get ready for the Hospital. We'll wait till mama and charlotte go to sleep before I take you because Bella's right I don't want to see my brother on his death bed." Peter said leaving the room.

He walked down the hall to see that Bella had chosen to go to bed early. He wanted to talk to her but kept on going. So he could tell his mother what was up with Jasper (the abridge version of course).

"Peter what did he say?" Carolynn asked when Peter walked into the room.

"He went walking down by that pond and got his boot caught in a mole hole and fell in." Peter lied. He knew charlotte would ask him the truth later and he would tell her but he didn't want to worry his mom.

"Well it's after eight. I'm going to bed." Carolynn declared before disappearing up the stairs.

"So what's really up?" Charlotte asked when Carolynn was out of ear shot.

"I knew you could tell I was lying."Peter told her.

"Now what is up with Jasper?" She asked.

"Jasper was attacked but he doesn't know who it was." Peter told her.

"How bad was he hurt?" Charlotte asked.

"Not bad; just some scrapes and bruises. You know things you could get from working on a farm." Peter explained/lied. "I'm taking him to the hospital after Ma is asleep."

"Why if you said it's not that bad?" Charlotte said.

"Well Bella walked in and saw a particularly nasty scratch and freaked out saying that he needed to get it checked out because an simple infection could develop and kill them."

"She said that?"

"Not in those words but that's what I got out of that but he only chose to go because Bella threatened to tell ma."

"Oh man she's not even dating one of you two and she already knows how to handle you guys." Charlotte said laughing.

"Yeah she does. Mama always said it would take a special kind of girl to handle us."

"Well I'm going to check on the kids. I'll see if your mother is asleep or not."

"And if she is send jasper's but down. Drag him down by his hair if you half too."

"Just like I have to do to you; doesn't surprise me that your brother would be the same." Charlotte replied. "Well Allen's up." Charlotte added when a baby started to cry.

"I'll go up with you. Since Allen will be a handful and Jasper is a handful all on his own."

"Have fun cow boy." Charlottes said departing for the guest room where the twins had been sleeping.

Peter walked into Jasper's room and didn't see and figured he was in the bathroom. The door to it was closed.

"Come on Jasper. Let's go." Peter said rapping his knuckles on the door.

"Dang can't a guy take a piss in peace." Jasper said exasperated.

"Yeah he can but you have a date with the hospital." Peter told him. "Put a button up shirt on. They are going to tell you to take your shirt off so they can take a look at wounds."

Jasper grumbled and walked to his closet and pulled out a blue and white plaid shirt and put it on. He stopped at his desk and grabbed a piece of folded up paper.

"What's that?" Peter asked.

"Noting for you." Jasper told him. "Go say good night to your kids we don't know how long it will take."

"Fine. Be all secretive." Peter said leaving the room.

While Peter was in the guest room Jasper shut his door and slipped the piece of paper he grabbed off his desk under Bella's door and headed down stairs to wait for his brother who came down ten minutes later. It took them fifteen minutes to get to the hospital. Jasper walked in and filled out the paper work and waited to be called.

"So what was that note about?" Peter asked him after an hour of waiting.

"Like I said it wasn't for you so you don't get to know unless the person who it was for decides to tell you." Jasper replied with a sly grin because he knew it was ticking Peter off because he didn't know who it was for.

"Come on Jasper we tell each other everything." Peter exclaimed.

"No we don't. You tell your wife everything not me." Jasper replied.

"Of course I tell her everything if I don't she'll kill me." Peter told his brother.

"Jasper Whitlock." A nurse called.

"That's me!" Jasper said standing up with a wince.

"Follow me." The nurse told him.

Jasper fallowed the nurse through the doors away from the waiting room. She led him down a hall way with sections curtained off. She stopped and opened the curtain on one of them.

"You will wait in here. Please get up on the bed and wait." She said before leaving.

Jasper did as he was told (once again) and slipped onto the bed. He hated waiting in the emergency room because there was nothing he could do to entertain himself and with his luck he usually got stuck next to a sick kid coughing up a storm or they had parents that would not stop complaining. He was just thankful it was quiet at the moment. He leaned back against the bed and sighed.

"Hello Mr. Whitlock. I'm Dr. Cullen how can I help you?"

"I… um… got stabbed in the stomach. It's really not that bad but a friend of mine was worried about infection." Jasper reluctantly told him.

"Can you show me where you got stabbed on your stomach please?"

Jasper just slipped his shirt off because he really wasn't sure how many wounds he had from the knife the assailant used.

"Mr. Whitlock when did you receive these injures?"

"A few hours ago I guess. I'm not really sure. I did get conked on the head with something."

"You should have come in sooner. Because even with just a few hours you have a nasty infection in the wound on you lower abdomen. Around of antibiotic should take care of it." Dr. Cullen said walking around him. "Mr. Whitlock did you hear a gun go off at all?"

"No why?" Jasper asked worried.

"It' looks like you were shot in your back no you could have just been stabbed but the wound is so round in shape that I want you to have an x-ray done just to be sure and if you did get shot I have to call the police."

"Are you sure?" Jasper asked in a strained voice.

"I would bet my medical degree on it." Dr. Cullen replied.

"Can my brother come back here so I can tell him?"

"Sure just let me go get him. It will be awhile till the x-ray tech comes to get you."

"Okay." Jasper replied.

"I'll be back in a few with your brother."

Jasper was only alone for about three minutes when Peter walked behind the curtain that blocked him from everybody's point of view. Jasper could tell that Peter was worried about why he was pulled back.

"I'll leave you two to talk." Dr. Cullen said leaving them alone.

"Why did the doctor bring me back here Jasper?" Peter asked sitting down in the chair.

"He thinks I was shot. He's having me get x-rayed. The wound's on my back somewhere." Jasper said.

Peter shot up out of his chair and looked at Jasper's back. It didn't take long for him to find the circler wound that could be a bullet wound but he wasn't no doctor so he could say anything.

"You know mama's going to kill you for not telling her why you came here right."

"Yeah but I could always tell her I went to check on the animals and go shot while doing that."

"It'd be your funeral." Peter said cracking a smile.

"Alright which one of you is Jasper?" A nurse asked.

"That would be me." Jasper said raising his hand.

"Come on I am to take you to get x-rayed." The nurse said. "You can stay here your brother will be back momentarily."

**This chapter picks things up a bit hope you like it and please leave a review.**

**Maye**


	26. The best of me Brantley Gilbert

**The Best of Me- Brantley Gilbert**

_**I couldn't wait to see you smile,  
But all I saw were tears in your pretty eyes and that said it all,  
It was all downhill from there.  
And I remember you saying, "Baby, please don't give up on me."  
Oh my baby, this stubborn man is gonna lie in the bed he made.  
'Cause there ain't nothing like a memory,  
When it's coming on strong like a hurricane.  
How can love like that just up and walk away?  
It's killing me baby.  
It's got me pouring up another drink,  
Bourbon's hitting me hard like a freight train,  
With my back against the wall or on my knees,  
When the worst of your memory gets the best, the best of me.**_

Jasper had gotten his x-rays done and was waiting for the results to come in. Peter had left him to give Charlotte and update. He hoped Peter was smart enough to know that telling Charlotte he might have been shot was a bad idea and he didn't want to deal with the aftermath of that. An angry Charlotte wasn't a pleasant thing to experience.

"Hey man how are you feeling?" Peter asked after walking back in.

"Like I got my a$$ kicked." Jasper replied.

"Which is what happen." Peter quipped.

Jasper sent a glare at Peter before asking. "What did you tell Charlotte?"

"I told her they were testing to make sure your wounds were clear of infection." Peter told him.

"You better hope she believes you." Jasper told Peter.

"You know I do." Peter said.

"Mr. Whitlock I've got your results." Dr. Cullen said.

"And what did they say?" Jasper asked him.

"You were shot in the back." Dr. Cullen said. "It was a small caliber but had it just gone a few inches over it would have perforated you liver or possibly even your kidneys. You will have to have surgery to remove it but after it is removed you should heal up nicely."

"How soon do I have to have the surgery?" Jasper asked.

"I would say as soon as possible. It could be done now if there is an open operating room. Is there anyone that needs to be called?"

"My brother can handle that." Jasper replied. "Is there any paper work I need to sign?"

"There is but most of it is for if things take a turn for the worse while you are on the table."

"What do you mean?" Peter asked.

"An allergic reaction to anesthesia or his body just couldn't handle it. So we have the patient in question sign a DNR if they want it and organ donation papers if they want to donate after the pass."

"Shouldn't you already have mine on file?" Jasper asked.

"What's a DNR?" Peter asked.

"We have your organ donation form on file but we like to have current forms and that over ten years old and we don't have notification weather you want a DNR or not on file."

"Once again what is a DNR?" Peter asked.

"A DNR is a Do Not Resuscitate order." Dr. Cullen explained to Peter.

"Jasper you can't do that to mom. It would kill her and you know it." Peter said looking his brother in the eye.

"Peter I didn't sign one when I had my surgery for that IED do you think I am going to sign one for a single bullet." Jasper said.

"You know I have to tell mom and Charlotte about this right."

"Yeah."

"Figure out when you want the surgery then I'll call mom and Charlotte."

"Can it wait until morning?" Jasper asked.

"No because gunshot wounds have to be treated immediately so the bullet if still inside the victim it has to be removed so it can be given to the police after it has been reported." Dr. Cullen said.

"Why?" Peter asked.

"All gunshot wounds have to be reported weather they are accidental or not." Dr. Cullen told him.

"Well call them so we can get it out of the way." Jasper told the doctor.

"I'll do that right after I schedule your surgery which will take place as soon as possible." Dr. Cullen said before walking away.

"Mama is going to kill me." Jasper had mumbled to himself.

"It had to be Aro or one of his brothers." Peter said once the doctor was gone.

"I know we have been having problems with them but we have no physical or video proof that it is them causing the problems." Jasper replied.

"If you are not going to do anything about it then why did our uncle hand over the reins to you?" Peter asked.

"Because he has cancer and only has weeks maybe months to live and he didn't want to worry about the ranch." Jasper told him. "He hasn't told the family because he doesn't want our pity."

Peter just slumped back into his chair. He didn't know what to say any more.

"I wouldn't give him pity." Peter replied.

"You know that I know that but he doesn't he also doesn't know what's going on with the Voltaire family." Jasper told him.

"I'm going to prove that Aro and his brothers had something to do with this and the cattle that have gone missing." Peter finally said after a few long minutes.

"Peter I said I will handle it and I will. You have Charlotte, the kids and mom to worry about; I only have mom to worry about."

"You are wrong. You have Bella to worry about not just mom." Peter told him.

Jasper didn't get a chance to tell his brother what he was thinking because Dr. Cullen had come back and admitted him to the hospital and had him switched to a room upstairs. Peter followed soon after calling Charlotte and telling her that Jasper was being kept overnight for observation because the wounds were deeper than they had thought and wanted to make sure nothing happened.

"Hey Doc can Jasper eat or will he have to wait until after the surgery?" Peter asked.

"He will have to wait until after his surgery to eat."

"So there is nothing he can have while he waits?" Peter asked.

"The only thing he can have is water or ice chips." Dr. Cullen said.

"Do you want them?" Peter asked.

Jasper nodded his head.

"Try not to give him too much." Dr. Cullen replied.

"Well I'll be back in a few with your ice chips and water." Peter said looking at Jasper.

Peter had been gone only a few minutes when the officers arrived to speak with Jasper. He started to go inside the room jasper was in when an officer at the door stopped him.

"Sorry sir but you can't go in there." The officer said.

"He's my brother." Peter replied.

"Yes and he's being interview as part of an investigation which is ongoing which you are not privy to."

"Yes but I know who my brother believes shot him and we have other incidences with them." Peter replied pulling his arm away.

"Sorry sir but you still can't go in there."

Peter didn't get to go back into the room at all because when the cops left Jasper was being rolled out for surgery. He had been changed into a gown before the police had gotten there. Peter walked beside the bed as the wheeled him toward the operating room. Jasper gave him a thumbs up as he went through the door. Peter gave him a slight wave of his hand before turning his back and going to the waiting room just down the Hall.

Inside the OR Jasper was told to count to ten and to basically go to sleep as the anesthesia took over. He felt so groggy it was like the morning after he would get trashed drinking whiskey which he hadn't done since Peter took him out before the twins were born.

While Jasper was being operated on three men were arguing in a deserted parking lot; each one mad at the others because their plan had not gone as plan.

"Aro you were not supposed to shoot him." Marcus yelled at his brother.

"What the hell was I suppose to do? He had his arm around Caius neck. He was strangling him. Did you want our little brother to die?" Aro yelled back.

"Who cares what happen. Father it going to kill us all when he finds out how bad we all screwed up." Caius said stepping in between his brothers.

"Father wants that farm or ranch whatever the hell you want to call it by next month."

"I told you we should have gotten a girl to get him drunk enough to sign the papers signing the land over to us. We pay her a couple of thousand bucks and Bing bang boom were done but you two don't listen to me because I'm the little brother." Caius yelled at the two.

"We are NOT bringing some whore into this." Marcus yelled.

"I didn't say we had to use a whore or hooker. We could use any woman to do it." Caius said defending his idea.

"We could get something with Jasper's signature on it and then forge his signature on the papers to the farm." Aro said.

"One problem Aro." Caius said.

"What is that?" Aro asked.

"He doesn't own the farm. His mother and Uncle do." Caius replied. "And there is no way his Uncle would sign it over and no one would trust it anyway; He's in the late stages of cancer."

"And that's the same problem with your plan Caius." Marcus said.

"Of course I see that now?"

"What about faking a will?" Marcus asked. "We break into his lawyers office steal the original will and plant the one we have written up."

"There's one problem with that the family can contest the will." Caius said.

"I don't give a dam how we get it we'll fake tax or birth records if we have to." Aro said.

"Can I leave now?" Caius asked.

"No. Father is meeting us here." Aro said. "And speaking of father that should be him now." He added pointed to head lights slipping into the parking lot.

A long black limo had pulled in. It stopped immediately in front of the three men. The head light dimmed and the engine shut off. A man hopped out of the driver side and nodded curtly to the three men before opening the back right door and stepping back out of the way. Out of the back door stepped a man in a dark gray Italian suit paired with an Italian button up shirt and a Italian silk tie. The older man had silver hair and were still inches taller than the three young men standing in front of him.

"Boys do I even have to say why we are here?" the man asked.

"No father." All three men replied.

"Why did you guys screw up? It was simple get Whitlock to sign over the farm but no you three had to screw it up." The man snapped.

"We tried he was stronger than we estimated." Marcus said.

"I told you to take back up." The man told his sons.

"That's not the worst bit." Caius said.

"What do you mean not getting the farm wasn't the worst bit?" he asked.

"Aro shot Jasper Whitlock." Caius replied.

"You used a gun. How many time do I have to tell you guns are not to be used unless you are an inch from death."

"I only shot him because he had his arm gripping Caius neck," Aro said defending himself.

"I am severely disappointed in all three of you. I give you one simple task and you can't even complete that. You three will not go out to night you will go home and stay there until I deem it okay for you to leave again. Your vehicles will be left here for the night and you will ride home with me."

"What if someone breaks into them?" Marcus asked.

"Then I will be your fault. If you had done the job I gave you in the first place they wouldn't be staying here. If any thefts happen then it will be up to you to report them." The man replied slipping into his limo. "And you have ten minutes to lock up your vehicles and appear in this car before I close the door and instruct Ricardo to drive off."

The boys did as they were told and had only grabbed their cell phones out of their cars.

"You can hand over your keys now. I will not be having you escape in the night."

**Please leave a review.**

**Maye**


	27. Virginia Bluebell Miranda Lambert

_**Virginia Bluebell- Miranda Lambert**__*****_

_**Carrying the weight on the end of a limb  
You're just waiting for somebody to pick you up again  
Shaded by a tree, can't live up to a rose  
All you ever wanted was a silent place to grow  
Pretty little thing, sometimes you gotta look up  
And let the world see all the beauty that you're made of  
'Cause the way you hang your head nobody can tell  
You're my Virginia Bluebell, my Virginia Bluebell**_

Bella swan hadn't been able to get back to sleep ever since she saw the gash on Jasper's stomach and had insisted that Jasper go to the hospital. She had heard Jasper and Peter leave for the hospital and that was over an hour ago and since she wasn't family the hospital wouldn't tell her a single thing even if Jasper was okay with them telling her what was going on with him.

The only thing Bella could do to keep herself from going stir crazy was to stare up at the twinkling stars that were not covered by the clouds in the sky. She never had the chance to do it in Forks. Forks was the type of town that was under a near constant cloud cover.

Bella could only assume that Charlotte was also up and just as worried about Jasper as she was but she hadn't talked to her since before Jasper and Peter left for the Hospital hours ago. She knew Charlotte was likely up with at least one of the twins because she (Bella) cold here the woman moving around in the room next door. Bella always knew that twins were a handful because of Angela's little brothers that were also twins. Bella had also thought about offering a helping hand but she truthfully didn't know Charlotte all too well (even thought she had been there a few months shy of a year) and didn't want to intrude on her and felt like she would had she offered her help.

When Bella woke up hours later, Bella knew that some amount of time must have passed by. She looked back at the sky and gone were the twinkling stars. Instead she saw a sky filled with bright bold and rich gold, red and orange streaks of the sunrise. Figuring that she must have fell asleep Bella turned her attention to the clock on the nearby bed side table. It read six thirty four AM in big bold green florescent numbers.

Figuring on the fact that she was too worried about Jasper to get back to sleep Bella got up to take a shower. She had hoped the hot water would release the tension pent up in her neck and back. When she was done she left the bath room and ran into Charlotte with Allen in her arms. Bella had opened her mouth to say something but could not get the words out. To avoid the awkward feeling of the situation Bella rushed in to her room and closed the door. She left a startled Charlotte behind staring at the door.

Charlotte had shook her head at that before turning her back to the door and heading for her own room to put Allen back to bed. She had no idea how to help Bella. She [Charlotte] herself had not ever been in that type of situation she knew Bella was in. Peter had been her first and only boy friend but they two of them [Charlotte and Peter] had been in love with each other since the moment they first met but had not done nothing until years later when they were in high school and it seemed that Jasper and Bella were going to be doing the same thing as them. Charlotte only hoped that it would only be months instead of years that passed. The two of them had no clue what to do about the feelings they had for one another but the fighting of feelings mostly on Jasper's part because his high school girlfriend Maria that had run off with some guy named James. Bella fought the feelings because of her lack of experience and fear of getting hurt by a guy.

But let's face it no girl wants to get hurt by their first boyfriend let alone their first love. Yes it's true Jasper wasn't Bella's first boy friend but he could certainly be Bella's first love at least that's what Charlotte thought remembering how Bella would sneak looks at Jasper when she thought he hadn't been looking (he had caught her a few times).

"Charlotte?" Carolynn called.

"I'm in with the twins." Charlotte called after her.

Carolynn walked into the room dressed in a short sleeved dress that she normally saved for church on Sundays. She was also carrying her purse on her arm. A whole bunch of thoughts ran through charlottes' mind when she took in what her mother in law was wearing.

"Carolynn; why are you all dressed up?" Charlotte asked her.

"I am going to visit Deacon Anderson's wife at the hospital. She was admitted last night after suffering a heart attack." Carolynn told her.

"Oh my; Mr. Anderson will not be able to handle it if he loses her to. They just lost their son in Iraq last month." Charlotte said.

"I know that is why I am going to see her." Carolynn replied.

Charlotte had to will herself to wait until Carolynn was out of the house before she grabbed the nearest phone and called Peter. He had not answered on her first try. It was on her second attempt that Peter answered.

"Charlotte is something wrong with the twins?" he asked.

"No but your mother is on her way to the hospital to see Deacon Anderson's wife." Charlotte told him in a rush.

"Shit. Jasper and I are going to be so dead if she finds us." Peter said.

"Watch your mouth and yes you are." Charlotte told him with a smirk that he couldn't obviously see.

"You haven't told her anything have you?" Peter asked.

"No but you might want to find out where Mrs. Anderson is so you can avoid it till your mother comes home." Charlotte told him.

"Knowing Mama she will find us anyway." Peter said.

"Just don't make me plan your funeral." Charlotte joked.

"I don't Plan on it." Peter said to Charlotte before letting her go.

"Where is she headed to?" Bella asked after hearing Carolynn's car door slam shut.

"She went to see Deacon Anderson's wife in the hospital" Charlotte told her.

"And Jasper and Peter are…" Bella said trailing off.

"Still there because Jasper had a reaction to a drug combination they gave him. At least that's what Peter told me when he called last night." Charlotte finished for her.

"I thought Jasper wasn't allergic to anything." Bella said.

"That is what has me thinking that peter is lying but at least he has Jasper in the hospital." Charlotte commented.

"I guess that is a good thing." Bella said. "What do you plan on doing today?" Bella asked.

"I am actually going to the Sears two counties over to get the twins photo's taken. It's going to be a surprise for Peter's birthday." Charlotte said.

"Sure. I've seen Angela try and get her brothers to sit down for a picture for as a gift for her Parents but they just would 't sit still." Bella said. "Plus I have to pick up a gift for Charlie."

"We'll leave around noon. The twins are usually awake and calm at that time." Charlotte said.

"I guess I will see you in about five hours." Bella said.

Bella had spent the five hours catching up on reading for her English lit class and trying to get a hold of Alice. It had been a months since she had talked to her and was starting to get worried. Whenever she found out Jasper was okay and spring break came she would fly to New York and hunt Alice down and Angela had told Bella last week that she would go with her to hunt down Alice. It was when she heard the twins giggling from the room next door that Bella stopped trying to get a hold of Alice and finished getting ready to go out.

"Are you ready?" Bella asked appearing at the door way of Charlotte's room.

"I was just getting Allen's shoes on." Charlotte said. "We are going to take the dodge. It's the bigger of the two tucks we have here and it has the extended cab so the twins will be in back while we are up front."

"I'll pull it up to the front. Keys are in the kitchen right?" Bella stated.

"Yep."

Bella made her way down stairs found the keys in the kitchen on the counter. She grabbed them and went out the back door to pull the truck around to the front to make it easier for Charlotte to get the twins in and out. Charlotte was waiting for her when she pulled to a stop in front of the steps.

"Do you want me to drive or would you like to?" Bella asked hopping out of the truck.

"I would like to drive since you haven't been to the sears I am going to." Charlotte replied making sure that Allen was strapped in before turning to Ellen and strapping her in to the back seat.

"Well off we go." Charlotte said sitting in the driver's seat.

Bella and Charlotte passed several other farms on their way to Sears to get the twins pictures taken. It would be good to get out of the house even if she was just helping charlotte with the twins for a few minutes or hours.

*****I chose this song because it seemed to fit the tone of the start of the chapter or maybe the whole chapter.

**_PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW._**


	28. Back In The Day Brantley Gilbert

_**Back in the Day- Brantley Gilbert**__*****_

_**'Cause back in the day we were wild and free  
She was my dashboard drummer  
Butterflies in the backseat  
Little footprints on my window  
Parkin' my Chevy by the riverside  
And four letters in a heart carved in a pine  
A little sun dress layin up there on the bank  
While the water washed our innocence away  
Feels like yesterday  
Back in the day  
Back in the day**_

Jasper hated hospitals and he always had. He wasn't afraid of needles or anything like that or even death; it was the smell he couldn't stand. He didn't know what it was he just couldn't stand the smell; like some people can't stand the smell of popcorn but didn't mind eating it.

Another thing he hated about hospitals was the drugs they put him on. The one's they liked putting him on even though he would ask them to find something else. 'Nothing else is suitable.' The doctors would say. The only Doctor that would try and help him was Dr. Cullen and he had only been there a few months at best. He would order that different drugs be administer but since he was a young doctor his bosses would undermine him and have a nurse administer the drugs originally ordered because there was no note made in his file.

"Hey you are awake?" Peter greeted.

"I've been awake about an hour now." Jasper said. "Where were you?"

"I was talking to Charlotte and I've got some not so good news for you."

"Are A and E okay?" Jasper asked.

"Oh they are fine but we might not be; Ma is coming up to see Deacon Anderson's wife." Peter said rubbing his chin swaying from side to side.

"We are so dead." Jasper replied.

"Of course we are. Ma just has to be sure she hides my body because Charlotte doesn't want to plan my funeral." Peter told him.

"I don't blame her." Jasper said. "Do you know when I can eat?"

"No I don't." Peter said "But I could sneak you some in like when we were little kids."

"The stinkin' doctors will know; they always know."

"And I should go find the doctor so you can get checked out." Peter said.

"Well go and find them and then you should go and find Ma and tell her that I am here she won't be as likely to kill us both." Jasper said.

"She got her grand kids from me so it will likely be me that she kills." Peter said.

"And what makes you think that would happen?" A female voice asked them from the doorway.

"Ma!" Both men exclaimed.

"How did you know we were here? And what happened to Deacon Anderson's wife?" Peter asked stammering.

"Oh that was a little white lie so I could slip away unaware of Bella and Charlotte." Carolynn said.

"What about how you knew we were here?" Peter asked.

"I have had my friend in reception Marion to call and let me know when you two boys came in. It started in high school after You Peter beat up that guy your freshman year." Carolynn explained to the two slack jawed men. "I would also have them tell me how serious they thought it was and if I should come in."

"That's why you never asked us about cuts that just seem to appear out of nowhere." Exclaimed Peter.

"It was a whole lot easier than getting you two to talk about them. Especially if it was a girl that caused them." Carolynn said. "Peter go find that doctor and stay gone once you have found him at least for an hour I need to speak to Jasper alone."

"Bye Mama. Have fun Jasper." Peter said adding the last part with a smirk.

"Peter!" their mother warned.

"Sorry Ma!" he called over his shoulder.

"What do you want to know?" Jasper asked when he was sure Peter was out of ear shot.

"First of what is the deal with your injuries. They wouldn't tell me." Carolynn said. "I know enough to know that you didn't get them from ranching."

"I was attacked out by the pond after my argument with Bella." Jasper said.

"And?" she prompted.

"I was stabbed… and I was also shot." Jasper grimaced.

"Shot what do you mean shot?"

"I don't know I didn't even know I was until I got here and Dr. Cullen examined me. He said it could have been a stab wound but he wasn't sure. I had x-rays were done and they showed a bullet in my stomach."

"How bad was it?" She asked.

"I'm fine. The bullet could have stayed in and I could have lived a perfectly good life but since I came to the hospital they had to call the cops to come and question me about it and I had to have the bullet removed because it was evidence." Jasper explained to his mother.

"What does Bella play in all of this?"

"Nothing."

"Jasper Otto don't you dare lie to me."

"She was the one who made Peter take me to the hospital." Jasper said running his hand through his hair.

"There is more to it than that and you know it. I've seen the way you look at her when you think she or no one else isn't looking; it's the same way Peter looks at Charlotte and your Uncle Brady looked at your Aunt Bree and the way your father looked at me."

"And you are telling me this because?" Jasper asked raising his eye brows.

"Because you are like your father and so many Whitlock men before you. You all were too stubborn at first to admit that you loved someone until it seemed like someone else was interested." Carolynn said

"You are saying this because?" Jasper said repeating himself.

"I am telling you because Bella won't wait around forever. She's younger than you and just starting out on her own who knows what she might get into." Carolynn said before taking a break. "But I am also telling you this because you need to stop being a stubborn a$$ and tell Bella how you feel and she should do the same."

"That is not likely to happen." Jasper said. "She's barely said ten words to me in the past two days."

"Well you have not said much to her in two weeks." Carolynn said. "And just because she saw you naked shouldn't put you off either."

"How did you know about that?" Jasper asked.

"What else would make a girl run out of the house faster than a race car blushing redder than a tomato?" Carolynn shot back. "Besides I thought you youngins like girls seeing you like that?"

"MOTHER!" Jasper said shocked. "That's only if we wanted to show them not if they walked in on us changing or taking a shower." Jasper added with his face turning to the shade of a bright red tomato.

"Glad to see you are still humble." Carolynn said.

"What does being humble have to do with _that_?" Jasper asked.

"Oh Jasper it has everything to do with it. A man no matter what his age is can't go around thinking he has everything needed to get going in the bedroom."

"Mom please stop that's enough. The only conversation that was worse than this one was the one you gave Peter and I when he walked in on you and Dad when he was thirteen." Jasper said looking a little bit green.

"Yes and it made him at least wait for Charlotte." Carolynn said.

"What made me wait or Charlotte?" Peter asked walking back into the room.

"The conversation we had after you walked in on her and when you were thirteen and I was…"

"Mom I thought we put that behind us. It is bad enough that you told charlotte about that at our wedding." Peter said.

"That's the thing about being a parent; you can bring back things that embarrass them to high heaven." She said with a smile.

"But I can't do that yet." Peter said.

"That's why you take a ton of pictures now; so Charlotte can show them to future girlfriends at least for the son. For the daughter you just have to act like you cleaning a gun to scare them. Your father never did get to do that one." Carolynn said reminiscing.

"It's probably a good thing Carrie never tried to date." Peter said taking a seat.

"With brothers like you and your father there would be no way that girl could even get a boy to take one step on to the land we own." Carolynn said.

"With a dang good reason." Jasper added. "But I am thankful that I never did get a gun pulled on me."

"That's because the only two girls you went on dates was Erica Miller ("She dumped me for the quarter back at homecoming") and Maria ("She ran off with James") neither of which had a father in the picture so there was no way you would get a shot gun pulled on you." Peter said. "Unless their mothers were psycho."

"Maria's mother was. She smacked me upside the head with a broom because I 'deflowered' her daughter. And no Ma that wasn't me."

"I know that. It was sometime during your basic training that you quote 'became a man'." Carolynn said. "I do not know when I just know you held yourself differently after you came back from basic training."

"This conversation is getting a bit two awkward for me so can we PLEASE change the subject?" Jasper asked.

"Sure we can." Carolynn said. "You can tell me what you are going to do about Bella."

"Ma." Jasper replied in a warning tone.

"Don't take that tone with me. I would like to know if the ranch is going to lose a hand in a few weeks or not because of your stupidity." Carolynn told her son.

"I don't have a clue."

**~*!*~**

"I don't have one single clue what to do about Jasper Charlotte." Bella had finally relented after being questioned for over an hour by Charlotte about what was going on between her and Jasper and what she was going to do about it.

"Come on Bella you have to think of something just in case he sticks to the same plan he, Peter and their father all did."

"And that is?" Bella asked.

"To continue to be stubborn a$$ men until the woman makes the first move." Charlotte told her.

"And how did you make a move on Peter?" Bella asked.

"I kissed him in the middle of a hallway our junior year he asked me out to our junior prom the next day." Charlotte said. "And we've been together ever since."

"You two were High School Sweethearts Jasper and I are… uh I have no clue what we are." Bella said.

"You two are two stubborn a$$ people who refuse to talk about your feelings. If you two were married I would force you to go to marriage counseling with Pastor Henry."

"You do that and Jasper and I either would strangle you or switch your salt and sugar around." Bella said.

"I would go with the switching less blood that way and you can't go to jail." Charlotte replied sarcastically.

"I'm only nineteen I would rather not go to Jail." Bella said. "You think we could stop somewhere and get something to eat." Bella asked.

"Sure we could have done that when we were at the mall." Charlotte told her.

"I know but the food is never really that good." Bella replied back.

_Back in the day we were wild and free…_

"Hold on let me get this." Charlotte said picking up her phone. "Oh it is a text message." Charlotte paused as she read the message.

"That was Peter. Carolynn knew they were at the hospital and her going to see Deacon Anderson's wife was a lie." Charlotte told her after putting her phone back down in the center council.

"They aren't dead are they?" Bella asked.

"Who?" Asked Charlotte.

"Peter and Jasper." Bella said.

"Oh no but I won't be surprised if Carolynn has another plan for their punishment for not telling her." Charlotte said turning into a burger king parking lot. "You want to eat hear or take it to go?"

"I say we eat here because it would be cold by the time we got back."

"You are right. You grab one baby and I get the other." Charlotte said.

Bella and Charlotte got their food and sat down at a small table with the twins in the chairs next to them. They remained silent as they ate their lunches. Stopping only to calm the twins down when they had gotten cranky.

"Well I am done how about you?" Charlotte asked.

"Yeah I can't eat anymore. I always forget how big the steakhouse burgers are." Bella said. "I'll throw the trash away and then we can leave." She added.

"I'm going to go change them."

"I'll me you out by the truck."

"Here take the keys so it can start to warm up." Charlotte said.

"Sure." Bella said grabbing the keys from Charlotte's hand.

Bella walked outside to the truck and started it once she had it unlocked. She never did use the push to start feature on it. She sat back in the driver's seat to relax a bit. She jumped up a bit when someone tapped on the window. It wasn't Charlotte. Bella slowly rolled down the window.

"What do you need?" Bella asked the man.

"Do you know Jasper Whitlock?" the man asked.

"A little bit why?" Bella replied.

"This is his truck and I heard he went to the hospital." the man said.

"I heard that to but I'm not sure. I'm with his sister in law. She's the one who barrowed the truck." Bella said sighing in relief as she saw Charlotte come out of the restaurant.

"Excuse me sir but I would like you to step away from my vehicle." Charlotte said.

"We were just talking." The man said.

"Sure you were is that why I see a dagger hanging from your belt and a gun stuffed in the back of your jeans." Charlotte said.

The man just held up his hands and walked away. Bella figured something was off about him but she wasn't sure. He also looked familiar but she knew she had never seen him before in her life. After making sure the guy was gone Charlotte allowed Bella to get out of the truck and help her with getting the twins into the backseat.

"Bella what did that man back their say to you?" Charlotte asked.

"He just asked me if I knew Jasper. I said I only knew a bit." Bella told her. "There was something weird about him though."

"I don't know who he is either I just know he has giving Jasper and Peter some trouble in the past where the ranch is concerned." Charlotte said. "But I agree with you that there is something off with him."

"I recognize him from somewhere but I have never met him before. I'll have to ask Jasper if he recognizes the description of him." Bella said.

"It can't hurt to ask but I would do it when Carolynn was gone." Charlotte told her.

*****the song was picked for two reasons one is the conversation between Jasper and his mom. I just had to make him turn red and the second reason is because it is charlotte's ring tone for Peter.

**I decided to upload this chapter early as a reward for the responce to the chapter from before. Six reviews for one chapter I would like to see agian but I will settle for three.**

**Maye**


	29. Whenever Were Alone Brantley Gilbert

**Whenever We're Alone- Brantley Gilbert**

**Whisper love you while you're drifting off  
whenever we're alone**

Bella Swan was cleaning out the stalls. Jasper had gotten home a week ago but was on strict orders from his doctor not to work until he was released to go back to work. It drove him crazy that the work for the ranch was left in someone else's hands because his uncle was too sick to do anything with it. Bella had figured that Jasper's uncle wasn't going to last much longer and that thought alone had Bella figuratively kicking herself for it when she should be praying that Jasper's uncle should get well.

The other thing that had Bella's mind racing was that she had not heard a word from Alice in weeks and it was really starting to worry her and she didn't have a break from school until the middle of April. Jasper and his whole family knew that she would be gone to New York that whole week.

She also knew that she needed to talk to him about the man that came up to her when she was out with Charlotte but she hadn't yet. Because she had grown to know Jasper's personality Bella knew that he would flip his lid because she had waited so long to talk with him about it. She didn't think his weakened body could handle the anger and she didn't want to be the reason for it.

"Bella lunch is ready." Charlotte said from the open barn doorway.

"I was just trying to finish up the barn." Bella replied.

"I know that and I also know that you haven't talked to Jasper." Charlotte said.

"Do you really think it would be a good idea with his personality?" Bella asked.

"Well about the creepy guy yes but that is not what I was referring to and you know it." Charlotte replied back.

"I don't really want to talk about that either." Bella told Charlotte.

"You will have to sometime. I wouldn't be surprised if Carolynn makes you." Charlotte said. "She locked Peter and I in the den when we had been fighting for a week long my senior year of college and she sat outside the door to make sure nothing than us two talking was going on."

"Still wouldn't make me talk to him besides I'm nineteen who says he would even be interested." Bella replied.

"Honey I've seen the way he looks at you and he looks like he wants to take you some where privet so he could have his way with you but doesn't because his Mama taught him better than that." Charlotte explained to Bella.

Charlotte's explanation had Bella blushing redder than I red ripened tomato. She didn't reply back to what Charlotte had said. She just ran ahead to the house.

"Bella dear what's wrong?" Carolynn asked.

"Ask Charlotte," was all Bella said as she headed up stairs.

Bella didn't mean to say it rudely but she just wanted to get out of those clothes for now and really didn't want to talk about it. She wasn't a prude or anything it was just something that she really never felt comfortable talking about with someone else ever since the horrible even that was her mother's attempt at 'THE TALK'. The talk was success full in her never wanting to do that in the near future at that moment in time. While she had been thinking about it recently (and of course it was because of Jasper) she still didn't feel right talking about it.

Bella had just gotten a fresh shirt on when there was a knock at her door. Making sure she was fully clothed she went and opened the door.

"Hi Carolynn;" Bella said.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

It made Bella wonder if Charlotte said anything; It also made her want to ask Carolynn if Charlotte told her anything. But Bella didn't ask the question that had rested on her lips; instead she said. "I'm fine just tired and worried."

"Worried about what?" Carolynn asked. "Jasper is just fine."

"I know he is but I am not so sure about my friend Alice. I haven't heard from her in weeks." Bella replied.

"Is that why you are going to New York in April?" Carolynn asked.

"It's the only reason I have." Bella said.

Carolynn could hear the sadness in Bella's voice but had no clue what to say to her. So instead of staying there and letting the silence getting awkward she left the room to leave Bella to her thoughts. And being alone with her thoughts but not doing anything is not what Bella wanted to do at all.

In a fit of frustration Bella threw herself onto her bed and must have laid there awhile because there was another knock on her bedroom door. She didn't get up this time to open it. That didn't matter because whoever was on the other side of the door just opened it and walked right in.

**~!~**

Carolynn had gotten back down stairs after knocking on Jasper's door. Charlotte was already there with Allen and Ellen who were both doing amazingly well for being born so early. Carolynn made her way to the kitchen to finish lunch up.

"Do you need any help in there?" Charlotte called after her.

"No I do not just stay with the twins." Carolynn replied. "Where's Peter?"

"He stepped outside for a moment to make a call." Charlotte told her.

"Well go get him. Lunch is done I just have to put it on the table." Carolynn said slipping back into the kitchen.

Ten minutes later Jasper had come down the stairs. He was in a button up shirt because of the bandage that covered his back from where he had been shot. He preferred his t-shirts but they were too tight with the bandage on. He winced as he got to the bottom of the stairs.

"Are you okay Jasper?" Carolynn asked.

"I'm fine. It's just a little tension." Jasper replied just as Peter walked back into the house.

"It took you long enough." Charlotte said to him.

"Sorry but it was just one of the other ranchers called saying that they have started getting some cattle stolen." Peter replied.

"Enough talk about stolen cattle lunch is on the table." Carolynn said. "Jasper go up stairs and get Bella I'm sure she would like to eat after all her hard work."

"Yes Ma." Jasper replied heading for the stairs.

When he got up there his back was twinging with pain again. He also saw that Bella's door was closed. He walked up to it and knocked. There was no answer. He put his hand back down and grabbed the door knob and turned it and opened the door wide enough to allow himself to walk in. He could see Bella lying on her bed; if she was asleep or not he could not tell. He hadn't even been in the room a minute when Bella spoke.

**~!~**

"I could have been naked you know." Bella said not even looking at them.

"Yeah and it would have made us even from when you walked in on me."

"Fine I get it but why **ARE** you in here Jasper?" Bella asked stress the word are.

"Mama told me to come get you for lunch." Jasper replied he had turned back to the door (which had been closed).

Jasper had walked up to the door and tried to turn the handle.

"The door is locked." Jasper said turning back to her.

"What don't look at me like that I've been on my bed the whole time." Bella snapped.

"Do you go your phone?" Jasper asked.

"It's in the barn charging."

"Why not charge it here?"Jasper said gesturing to the room.

"Because I was working." Bella replied.

"Okay no need to get snippy. We are just stuck in here until they realize that we are gone." Jasper replied.

"So they can't hear us if we scream." Bella said.

"Yep. The walls were made that way because my uncle and his wife lived here when it was first built so that neither couple heard the other during intimate moments they made the walls extra insulated and thick but you can't tell." Jasper explained.

"I'm guessing that you and Peter used that to your advantage growing up." Bella said.

"Peter more than I when Charlotte's family got a little rowdy." Jasper replied.

"But Peter and Charlotte spend most of their time over there."

"That's her mother and step father. Not her biological father." Jasper said. "Don't ask her about it because she can't stand him and hasn't talked to him since she was eighteen."

"I guess I am the opposite of her then." Bella commented.

"What do you mean?" Jasper asked.

"I don't get along with my mom but my dad and I are as close as ever." Bella told him.

"That bad;" Jasper said.

"You could say that and about a week after I arrived here I received a very angry e-mail from her telling me that I better not come back knocked up by a quote 'country bumpkin' who doesn't know his way out of a paper bag; which is funny coming from her since we live in a town smaller than this one." Bella told Jasper.

"It wouldn't matter where the dad was from what you have told me would stand behind you and so would Charlotte, Peter and Ma." Jasper told her. "And Peter would be likely to kick the ass of whoever touched you."

"Ahh… the big brother I never wanted." Bella replied.

"You never wanted a big brother?" Jasper asked.

"Nope I always wanted a little sister because I wanted someone I could help teach and learn."

"Which is why you are English major?" Jasper asked.

"Partly but I also love the subject too." Bella said.

Jasper got up from the end of the bed he had sat down on and walked back over to the door. He grabbed the handle and turned it but it was still locked. He turned around and looked at Bella.

"I guess that Mama is doing to us what she did to Charlotte and Peter." Jasper told her.

"Charlotte told me about that."

**~!~**

"Come on now Peter get to eating." Carolynn said.

"Aren't we going to wait for Jasper and Bella?" Peter asked.

"No we are not. Now eat. I'll take up food for them later." Carolynn said knowingly.

"Ma what are you planning?" Peter asked.

"I'm not planning anything." Carolynn said.

"Mama you know I know better than that. What are you doing?" Peter asked.

"You should know I've done it to you." She replied.

"Mom what happen between me and Charlotte was a misunderstanding when I saw her hugging a cousin. Bella and Jasper are not together so I don't see how your plan would work."

"It will because they will either get together or leave each other alone. I would rather not see the sexual tension between Jasper and Bella."

"MOM!" Charlotte and Peter yelled. "There are children in the room." Charlotte added.

"You have nothing to worry about until they hit puberty." Carolynn said.

"Ellen will be locked in her room." Peter commented.

"No she won't because she has to go to school."

"It will be an all girl school." Peter said. "Including the teachers."

"Peter all schools usually have male staff of some kind." Charlotte said.

"Whatever back to the subject at hand. Why did you lock them in the room together?" Peter said.

"Are you that blind Peter to see the way your brother looks at her or the way she looks at Jasper?" Carolynn said.

"Of course I've seen it. I chose to ignore it because Jasper rarely does anything about a girl he has a thing about it. Not to mention Bella is a bit younger than him."

"She is only seven years younger than him." Carolynn said. "I was ten years younger than your daddy."

**~!~**

"What Jasper?" Bella had asked the man in question after he had stared at her for five long minutes without saying a word.

"Sorry I was thinking about how to get out of here." Jasper replied. "And I can't think of anything. The door is locked and the window is nailed shut."

"I noticed that the window was nailed shut but why?" Bella said.

"I have no clue either." Jasper said. "And it looks like we are stuck here until my mother thinks we have worked through whatever she thinks needs to be worked through."

"What should we do we are stuck here?" Bella asked.

"Get to know each other." Jasper replied.

"And how would you suggest we do that?" Bella asked.

"Twenty questions?" Jasper suggested. "Twenty for you and twenty for me," He added.

"Fine but nothing _dirty_." Bella said.

"What do you mean by _dirty_?" Jasper asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You know what I mean." Bella replied. "You are too smart not to know."

"For all you know I could be stupid enough not to know." Jasper said.

"You can say that but you know it will be lie." Bella told him. "Now what's your first question?"

"You want to start now?"

"Sure why not." Bella replied.

"Favorite song?" Jasper asked sitting back down on the bed but beside Bella this time.

Bella thought for a few seconds before saying. "Homeboy by Eric Church because it's about a guy telling a friend or brother that he should come home no matter what he's done."

"I know I've heard it." Jasper replied. "Your question."

"Your favorite song?" Bella asked.

"The chain of love by clay walker because it re-instills the random acts of kindness thing my mother taught me because you never know when it could come full circle."

"Color?"

"Green. I don't know why I just do." Jasper said. "Your favorite color?"

"Depends on the day but it moves between black, silver, green, and red." Bella replied.

"What TV show do you watch most often?" Jasper asked.

"Project Runway or Criminal minds. I'm not sure which I watch more."

"I get Criminal Minds but Project Runway?" Jasper asked.

"It reminds me of Alice now give me your answer."

"I don't watch much TV but I do watch Anderson Cooper every now and them." Jasper replied.

"Movie Genre?" Bella asked.

"It's mostly war movies but I would say it falls under action depending on the plot." Jasper said. "And you?"

"Nearly anything but horror films and…" Bella told him trailing off.

"You don't have to finish I get the idea. The book you like the most?"

"Pride and Prejudice." Bella replied. "You?"

"I can't remember the name of it but I think the author was John Grisham."

"He is good."

"What book series do you like?" he asked.

"Hey it's my turn."

"I don't care now answer the question." Jasper said sternly.

"I would have to say the orphan train trilogy. I believe it take place after the Civil War. It was co-authored by husband and wife Al and Joanna lacy."

"I would have to say the hardy boys and that was from when I was younger and yes I did read harry potter."

"I wasn't going to ask that but your favorite vacation?"

"The one we took to Corpus Christy when I was ten. You?"

"Don't really have one because the most I did was live in phoenix when I was ten because Renee couldn't stand being in a small town anymore."

"We'll have to remedy that." Jasper commented. "Holiday?"

"What?" Bella said.

"Your favorite holiday what is it?" Jasper asked.

"Christmas because people who normally don't give charity give it and I wish that would happen all year round. Not to mention we get to celebrate Jesus." Bella said.

"My answer would be the same just add the family aspect of it."

"If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?" Bella asked.

"I would go to Italy for the food." He said. "And yours would be?"

"Ireland. There is just something majestically beautiful about the emerald isle." Bella said with a smile.

"Glad to see you are smiling. The college you would love to go to if not for money?" Jasper asked.

"Sarah Lawrence in New York. I've heard they have a really good English program. Where would you go if you could go to college?"

"Harvard because of the business school." Jasper said.

"Career?" Bella asked.

"I've done them both. I joined the army and served and I get to work on the ranch what more could I want."

"I can see that. It would be cool to open my own school or become a published author."

"Good answer. I am finding it hard to come up with more questions. How about we right some more down on slips of paper and answer them when they come out of the hat."

Bella gave her answer buy grabbing a ball cap to use as the bowl to hold the slips of paper. Jasper wrote four while Bella wrote five. The put them all into the cap before shaking them up.

Bella reached in first and pulled one out and read. "Dream car? Hmm I would have to say any Mustang from the first one build to nineteen seventy nine. Make it Irish Kelly green and I would be happy."

"I would like the old style fords from the fifties and forties. It doesn't matter what color as long as they are not rusted." He paused only to reach into the hat. "Name of your first born son?" he raised an eye brow.

"I couldn't think of anything else."

"I would hope to name him after me or some other family member of mine that I am close to. What about you?"

"Either my grandfather, the man I am married to or my father." Bella replied grabbing another slip of paper. "Your first best friend."

"Easy Michael Moran from first grade. He and his family were from Ireland but had to move back when his grandmother got sick."

"I had Ange and Alice for about six years and I can't pick just one." Bella said.

Bella pushed the hat toward him. Jasper grabbed the hat and shook it a bit more before grabbing another slip of paper.

"Hardest choice you have ever had to make?"

"When to say good bye to my sister." Jasper replied.

"Sorry." Bella said.

"It's okay. What was the hardest choice you had to do?"

"Saying good bye to my dad to come here and choosing what school to go to." Bella told him as she pulled out a slip of paper. "Worst memory?" she read. "You don't have to answer I think I already know but for me it would be a nightmare I had when I was sixteen after Charlie had been shot in the line of duty."

"Easiest choice?" Jasper asked.

"Leaving my mom behind to fend for herself for once." Bella said. "What about you?"

"Hiring you."

"Name for your first baby girl?" Bella asked.

"Carolynn, Charlotte or Carrie."

"All very important to you. I'd have to say Olivia because it is the female version of Oliver which is my grandfathers' name. I also like the name charlotte but my dad would call her Charlie way too often." Bella said.

"There are only two names left. Let's close our eyes and just pick one." Jasper said. He opened the folded slip and read "First serious relationship?"

"Maria the girl that…"

"Ran off with another man." Bella finished. "Mine would be the only boyfriend I have had to date. We only lasted three months."

"What does your slip say?"

"It is simple because it's only two words_ 'First kiss'."_ Bella said blushing.

"It was third grade; under the jungle gym I got detention for a week when the teacher caught us." Jasper said. "Now what has you blushing?"

"It was my first boyfriend because I was always considered the ugly duckling." Bella said.

"There is nothing ugly about you." Jasper whispered.

"What did you say?" Bella asked.

"There is nothing ugly about you." Jasper said scooting closer to her.

**~!~**

"Come on now help me clean up." Carolynn said.

"What about Jasper and…"

"I already have some set aside for them." She replied. "Now go and get back to work."

"All right ma. I'll see you later and Charlotte we'll leave for Allie's after I am done and have taken a shower." Peter said walking out the door.

Charlotte left the twins in their high chairs and helped Carolynn clean up. Charlotte and Carolynn were almost done with the dishes when Carolynn excused herself to the restroom. Charlotte quickly finished the dishes and went to put the twins down for a nap because they had already started to fall asleep in their high chairs. She didn't see Carolynn in the hallway on her way up and assumed that she must have gone to her room for some privacy.

**~!~**

"There is nothing ugly about you." Jasper said repeating himself after she didn't reply.

"You are just being nice." Bella finally said.

"No I'm not. You are beautiful. You may have been what people would call and ugly duckling when you were younger but you have turned into a beautiful woman." Jasper said.

"You have no idea how cheesy that sounds but I still have a hard time believing you."

"I could prove it to you." Jasper told her.

"I don't see how you would have to ask oth…"

Jasper had cut Bella off by pressing his lips to hers. Bella had stiffened at first but relaxed into it after a few seconds sliding her arms around his neck. He moved his left hand to the back of her neck to deepen the kiss while supporting himself with his right. Jasper only pulled away because of his need for Air.

When Jasper pulled away Bella scooted herself away and leaned her back against the head board. She hadn't even looked up to see Jasper. She just couldn't muster up the courage to look at him.

"Bella…" Jasper started.

"It's okay Jasper you can leave." Bella said looking down at her hands.

"Why would I want to leave?" Jasper asked moving to sit up by the head board beside Bella. He grabbed her hand. "I kissed you like that because I have wanted to for months heck maybe even a week or so after you first got here; not just to prove something to you."

"I get what you are say it's just... I don't know how to say it."

"Bella what happen between you and your last boyfriend?" Jasper asked.

"He was also my first boyfriend. We liked each other well enough in the beginning but we broke up when I found out that he liked my best friend. They started dating shortly after and I don't know if they are still together or not."

"And that affects you and me because?" Jasper asked.

"I don't want to be left behind for one of them again." Bella replied.

"Bella ; Bella look at me." Jasper said. Bella complied.

"I didn't feel a thing for Angela when I met her and she is happily in love with Ben at the moment and probably always will be. And I have see pictures of Alice and she does nothing for me you and you alone do." Jasper said grabbing Bella's chin softly and turning her head to face him. "It will always be that way unless you don't want me anymore."

"Of course I want you to stay but what brought this on now?"

"It's not the first time I tried telling you. I tried telling you on that fiasco of a picnic we took just after Angela left back for Florida." Jasper said.

Jasper leaned in and kissed Bella again only this time was less intense as the first. Jasper pulled away only to see Bella smiling. He pulled her into his side and they stayed like that for hours both falling asleep listening to the sound of the other's breathing.

**~!~**

Carolynn had come out of her room just as Charlotte had come out of the room she had put the twins down in; in Charlottes had was the baby monitor that went with her everywhere.

"The twins down?" She asked.

"Yes." Charlotte replied. "Are you okay?"

"Fine I was just going to check up on Bella."

"And Jasper," Charlotte said. "What I know you locked them in her room."

Carolynn walked away without saying anything. She made her way to Bella's room as she slipped the key out of her pocket. After pressing her ear to Bella's door and not hearing a thing move Carolynn had unlocked the door. She pushed it open slowly and found Jasper and Bella asleep on top of the covers in Bella's bed. Bella's head was on jasper's shoulder the rest of her was curled into Jasper who had one of his arms wrapped protectively around her and the other holding her hand.

Carolynn smile sweetly and walked quietly as she could over to the bed. She picked the brown fleece throw blanket on the edge of the bed and slipped it over the sleeping duo. Spring may have been well on its way but it was till freezing cold out and the heater inside the house was busted. Carolynn paused when Bella whimpered slightly when the blanket first touched her. Carolynn smiled again as her son tightened his right arm round Bella's waist (even though he had been asleep) pull Bella even closer to him. A sleeping Bella made no protest in these movements but had continued to stir.

Carolynn quickly slipped back out of the room so she wouldn't be caught. Charlotte was leaning up against the wall in the hallway waiting for her. Charlotte gave her a knowing look before slipping back into the room with the twins.

"Ma are you up to something?" Peter asked from the foot of the stairs.

"Nope I'm done planning." Carolynn said.

"Why don't I believe you?" He asked.

"Because you shouldn't." Bella said from the top of the stairs. Jasper was standing right behind her. "She locked us up in my room."

"Ma you didn't even lock the door with charlotte and I."

"That was because you were too scared to even leave the closet." Carolynn replied.

"Seriously Ma you didn't have to lock us in the room literally. What if there had been a fire and we couldn't get out?" Jasper said.

"You would have broken the window." Carolynn said.

"That's not the point." Jasper said.

"Then what is?"

"Forget it. I have something I have to pick up." Jasper said walking down the stairs with Bella behind him.

"Are you leaving too Bella?" Charlotte asked.

"Yes. Jasper is dropping me off at the Mars PI company so I can see if they can find Alice or not because not even her mother has heard from her." Bella replied.

"When was the last you heard from her?" Peter asked.

"It's been weeks since I've heard her voice but I got an email about a month ago and she only wrote three words instead of the hundreds of words that she normally writes." Bella replied to Peter.


	30. My Time on Earth Billy Gillman

_**My Time On Earth By Billy Gillman**_

_**My time on Earth Each breath I breathe**_

_**Is one more chance to share my love with those around me**_

_**We come and go like shooting stars**_

_**The truth be known, that's all we are**_

_**The more that I know the more I can see**_

_**The older I grow the more I believe**_

_**It's not the length of the life or the depth of the grave**_

_**In the end we'll be measured by the love that we gave**_

**M**ars** P**rivet** I**nvestigation** C**ompany

**Keith Mars PI**

**Ronnie Mars PI**

Is what the tinted glass door of Mars PI Company. It was simple their logo appeared below the name of the company but above the names of the privet investigators. Bella had been standing in front of the door for two minutes now trying to get the nerve up to talk to either Keith or Ronnie.

Just as she was about to grab the door handle Bella was stopped by a blond woman a few years older than her coming out.

"Hi I'm Veronica or Ronnie as the door refers to me. Can I help you?" the woman said.

"My friend Alice… I think she has gone missing."

"Come in and I will see what I can do." Veronica told her.

Veronica showed her in to a four roomed office. There was her dad's office off to the side and a file and bathroom on the other side. In the middle room where client waited were a set of worn file cabinets and a old wooden desk with two folding chairs in front of it. Veronica sat in behind the wooden desk while Bella sat down in one of the folding chairs.

"You said you think your friend Alice has gone missing?" Veronica asked.

"Yes." Bella said.

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"Months ago before I came here to Texas. It's actually coming up on a year but she's written men emails the whole time she was gone that were at least five hundred words if not a thousand but her last one was only three words. Her mother hasn't even heard from her."

"Do you have the e-mails with you?"

"Yes." Bella said handing over a blue file.

"The last e-mail is about a month ago. Do you know were Alice was the last time she e-mailed you?"

"Specifically no but I believe she was in New York around NYU somewhere because that's where she was signed up to go to college at." Bella replied.

"Right now I can tell you that I won't get much from checking her profiles on the internet but the e-mails you had provided might help me greatly but I can tell you now that I most likely will have to go to New York to continue the investigation. I might even have to go to your home town to search also."

"Were from Forks Washington; I didn't tell you before." Bella said. "Now about payment what would that entail?"

"We usually work for a ten dollar an hour fee but since I will be leaving state I would ask for a flat two thousand dollar fee that can be paid in installments."

"Oh I can pay it all now." Bella replied.

"I prefer the hundred dollar installments to the government can't think I'm really a drug dealer or something like that because of a deposit bigger than six hundred deposited in my account the same for my father."

Bella quickly wrote a check for two hundred dollars and handed it to Veronica.

Jasper was waiting for Bella when she walked out of Mars PI Company.

"Is everything all right?" Jasper asked pushing off of his truck.

"Yeah I just hope they can find her. I'm still going to New York come spring break at school."

"I figured as much." Jasper said. "Now let's get home. Ma has Dinner started and is probably going to tan my hide from not bringing you here yesterday like I promised."

"You know she loves you." Bella replied. "Are you going to tell her what has you and peter so worried about the cattle?"

"Not right now. Peter and I are going to install camera's at even intervals along our property line on all sides to make sure that no can get away with stealing out cattle."

"But that won't stop them from getting the cattle." as Jasper pulled to a stop.

"Yeah that won't stop it but we are trying to get a hold of tracing devices to try out and see if they would work on our cattle. We had thought about using microchips but I've never really felt comfortable using those but we will if we have to." Jasper said opening the door for Bella.

"Finally you two are home." Carolynn said when they walked in. "We are having guest tonight so I want you to wear your best."

"Of course we will Carolynn." Bella said heading up stairs with Jasper following behind.

"Alone." She called after the both of them.

Bella and Jasper just laughed. They did however part ways because their clothing items were in separate rooms and they just weren't to that level yet. Bella walked to the closet and pulled out a basic white blouse and slacks it was the nicest outfit she owned that would be appropriate for some one that Carolynn was excited about having over. When she was done changing, she hurriedly brushed her hair.

"Bella calm down. I'm sure that Ma just invited someone from church and felt like the dinner had to be formal." Jasper said from the door.

"I've always been this way and with Alice missing I have no idea…" Bella started to say.

"It's okay I would be scatterbrained too." Jasper said. "Come on let's get down stairs or who knows what Mama would yell."

"I'd rather not think about that." Bella said before walking down the stairs.

Charlotte and Peter were there with their twins. Carolynn was in the kitchen. Bella went into the kitchen and Jasper stayed in the living room.

"Carolynn if you don't mind my asking who is coming to dinner?"

"Just a doctor his wife and someone they consider a daughter but I don't know her age but I guessing between yours and Jasper's ages at the very least." Carolynn said. "There is the door could you have Jasper get that for me?"

"Sure. And should he have them sit in the living room?"

"yes."

Bella walked to the living room.

"I'm already on it." Jasper said walking to the door and opened it. He let the couple and their daughter in to the house.

Bella had gone back into the kitchen to help Carolynn and didn't see who the guest was.

"Is it alright if I go to the kitchen and help?" a familiar voice asked.

"You can try but since you are a guest then she is likely to tell you no." Bella heard Jasper reply.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" the voice asked.

"You can help with the salad if you really want to help." Carolynn told the girl. "Wash your hands first."

"Okay." The girl said.

_**I really want to tell you guys about Alice but I can't because it is part of my plot and I really don't know which way I will be going concerning her.**_

_**Maye**_


	31. My Time on Earth By Billy Gillman PT2

_**My Time on Earth By Billy Gillman**_

_**My time on Earth Each breath I breathe**_

_**Is one more chance to share my love with those around me**_

_**We come and go like shooting stars**_

_**The truth be known, that's all we are**_

_**The more that I know the more I can see**_

_**The older I grow the more I believe**_

_**It's not the length of the life or the depth of the grave**_

_**In the end we'll be measured by the love that we gave**_

"Alice?" Bella said. "What are you doing here?" Bella said dragging her out the back door.

"I'm here with Esme and her husband Carlisle." Alice replied.

"I haven't heard from you in a month do you know how worried Angela and I have been about you." Bella ranted.

"I'm sorry I just had to get away from New York and l left everything there my phone my computer. I left on the sixteenth."

"Then how did you send me this?" Bella said holding out her phone.

"I don't know who sent that to you but it wasn't me." Alice said. "Someone must have hacked my account." She added.

"Who would do that?"

"I don't know my roommate maybe. Her name was Victoria and she was kind of a b…"

"I get it. But why would she?"

"Her boyfriend James like to hit on me whenever she was still getting ready to out she caught him a few times and he told her I was coming on to him which would never happen because he smells like weed all the time." Alice said. "So do you forgive me for not telling you and Angela that I was leaving New York?"

"I do but it might take Angela a little longer because she could have used us both but you hardly ever talked to us." Bella said.

"What did Ben break up with her?"

"No but she thought he was going to and the reason why is for her to tell you not me." Bella said.

"That bad?"

"Yes."

"Do you really forgive me?" Alice asked.

"Of course I do." Bella said putting down her knife and rushing over to Alice to give her a hug.

"Not that it's a bad thing but why are you too hugging out here?" Jasper asked from the door way.

"Jasper this is Alice." Bella said.

"Yeah I know she told me that was her name when I was in the living room with her and her surrogate parents as she called them." Jasper said walking closer.

"No Jasper this is _**THE **_Alice. My best friend Alice. The one I was going to leave during spring break to search for ALICE." Bella said pointing at Alice each time she said her name. "And if you don't believe me go look at that picture taped to the mirror in my room."

"I'm going to talk with Esme she'll want to know that you are here also. She hadn't realized that you would be staying on the ranch and she also hadn't realized that Carlisle's friend was her old friend to. Small world." Alice said backing up into the house.

"Okay so that is your best friend Alice." Jasper said pulling Bella into his arms.

"Yes she is. Crazy spiky hair in all. I know she will talk Charlotte and I into at least one shopping trip before she leaves. Well if she leaves that is." Bella said.

"What about Ronnie Mars. You paid him two hundred to start looking for her?"

"It Veronica and I guess stop by and see her tomorrow and see what she says. We could bring Alice with us as proof."

"I agree and I would also want to stay out her all night just you and me but Ma would strangle us both if we miss dinner."

Bella and Jasper walked into the house where the rest of the dinner guests were waiting. Alice sat between Esme and Carlisle on one side of the table. Peter and Charlotte sat on one end with the twins on either side of them in high chairs. Carolynn took her customary seat at the head of the table like always leaving Bella and Jasper to take the open side of the table. Esme gave Bella a smile and Bella gave one back before taking her seat. Jasper squeezed her hand underneath the table.

"Peter it's your turn to say grace."

"Ma are you sure…"

"Yes it's his turn. Now Peter."

Peter took a breath before saying. "Good Bread, Good Meat, Good God let's eat."******

"Peter!" Charlotte scolded.

"What? If you want a tasteful prayer you should have had the minister come do it not me." Peter replied.

"It don't matter grace has been said so we can eat now. Just do grace a little nicer next time it's your turn Peter." Carolynn said.

The meal went off without a hitch. After it was all finished they all went into the living room for coffee and dessert. Bella again sat by Jasper but Alice was on her other side this time.

"So Bella how have you liked working here?" Esme asked her.

"Oh I like it just fine. Sometimes I get so distracted with my work here that I forget about school work but Carolynn gets on to me about that. Just like you would I am sure." Bella said with a smile.

"She did it when we were in high school she will do it when we are eighty." Alice chimed in.

"I guess that's better than nothing." Bella said.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Carolynn asked.

"Alice and I both have mothers that are not all that into mothering in a loving way." Bella told her.

"Bella had it worse than I did though. Her mother remarried to a man who thought he was going to be the next great pro baseball player and kept Bella away from her father who was the chief of police. But Angela and I would always sneak her out of the house so she could see him." Alice said.

"You mother wasn't abusive was she?" Esme asked.

"Not physically and I've already had therapy which was provide by the school which was provided after that kid killed himself two year ago." Bella told them. "And now that I am in college and of age she can't keep me in that place any longer and if I do go back it would be to live with Charlie not her."

"I wouldn't want you too." Jasper said pulling her closer.

"When did this happen?" Esme asked referring to her and Jasper.

Bella blushed while Jasper said "Just to day actually after ma locked us in a room together."

"Remember what I told you before you left Bella." Alice chimed in.

"You could do that yourself now." Bella replied. "That way you could pick out just what you want."

"Yeah I could and I wouldn't have to deal with the shipping charges either."

"Are you two going to tell us what you are talking about?" Jasper asked.

"Nope." Bella and Alice both said. "Esme might know but she won't tell you." Bella added.

"She's right I do have an idea and I won't tell you what it is." Esme said. "But it's getting late and we have to get going." She added.

"Yeah I got a medical conference to get to in Dallas." Carlisle provided.

"I guess we better not get hurt while you are gone." Bella said walking them to the door.

"I will come see you tomorrow Bella. Well after Esme helps me out with something that is." Alice said giving her a hug.

"If you ever need us we are just a call away." Esme said also hugging her.

"I will." Bella said before stepping back so the rest of the group could say goodbye.

Bella slipped away up to her room while everyone was saying good bye. She wanted to call Angela and tell her that Alice was okay she just left her life in New York because it was what her mother wanted and that she had even transferred to NYU without her mother knowing but it was still to stress full on her.

"You all right?" Jasper asked walking in.

"I'm fine. I'm just trying to figure out how to explain this t Angela." Bella said. "Alice was supposed to be at Yale. She called me after she was there three weeks and then some how she got to New York which I still don't know how she did that because of who her mother was."

"Alice probably had the plan set even before she left and she may not have even gone to Yale. Maybe she was in New York the whole time. "Jasper said.

"If she was that would just make me wonder why she didn't want me to know it wasn't like I would have told her mother." Bella said.

"Well it's late and we have got an early morning tomorrow if you want to help me and Peter with the camera's that is."

"If you get me a map of your property lines and where you are finding the most damage at then I could tell you where to place the cameras."

"I will have to see if I can find it."Jasper said.

"Just set it on my desk if I fall asleep." Bella said.

"I will." Jasper said.

"See you." Bella said grabbing her pajamas and heading for the bathroom. She showered and changed into her pajamas. After she was finished she grabbed her school books and finished her school work that had to be turned in during her afternoon class the next day.

The work wasn't hard it was just boring but then again math was never her subject in school. She was into English and art. What type of art or English it didn't matter because she always excelled in them from kindergarten and on. After she finished the assignment she put the book and packet up in her book bag so she wouldn't forget it when she left.

Jasper walked straight to the barn where they kept maps of the property. He would go out with Peter tonight and mark where the damage was on one of the maps and then give it to Bella to see what she says.

"Hey man what are you doing?" Peter asked.

"I was looking for the maps of our property lines. I got them done last year but I can't find them." Jasper said.

"Who had access to them?"

"Me, you, ma and our uncle." Jasper answered. "Not to mention the lock on this door looks like it has been messed with and a few documents look like they are missing."

"So you are saying that we have a inside man?" Peter asked.

"Yes. That or someone out there sent in a very skilled burglar." Japer said in an off handed tone.

"Then we will have to put cameras in here."

"We should have put them in a lon…"

"Mr. Whitlock I found these in the old hay bin outside." Seth said running in with a bunch of papers clumped in his hand.

Jasper took the papers from him and looked through them all.

"These are the missing maps." Jasper said. " How did you find these in that hay bin?"

"I was walking past after feeding the pigs and I saw one of the corners sticking up out of the bin and that was odd since only hay is put in the hay bin. I pulled them out and the pictures look like that aril photo of the farm you have there." Seth explained. "I didn't do anything wrong did I?" he asked.

"No seth you did nothing wrong. You did good. You done feeding the pigs?"

"Yes."

"Then you can go home. I'll have Peter drive you home since Embry and Quill already left for the rez." Jasper said.

"Just let me get my keys kid and we can go." Peter said ruffling Seth's hair.

"I am not a kid." Seth said.

"Of course not you are just stuck in middle school." Peter said.

"I am a freshman in high school." Seth snapped back. "Not to mention I made it on to the varsity baseball team. I didn't see you do that."

"Yeah well I was in the Navy for six years and got shot in the…"

"Peter." Jasper warned. "Just take him home and try to clean up the language otherwise his mother will not let him come back to work for us if he comes home using that language."

"She wouldn't know I picked it up from you she'd think that I got it from Embry and Quill."

"It doesn't matter. Peter takes him home it's getting late." Jasper said. "I need to get this place locked up and get some sleep."

"Come on kid." Peter said leaving the office with Seth trailing behind.

Jasper locked up the office after finding a folder for the maps to go in and writing a quick note to Bella asking her if she could look at them. He walked up to the house. The porch light was still on and Peter's truck was gone. He walked in and was greeted by silence; Charlotte and Carolynn and both gone to sleep. He could hear his mother's snores coming from her room.

Bella's door was still cracked open from when he left earlier. He opened it further to see that Bella was a sleep with a book in her lap. He pulled the book out of her lap and pulled the covers back and tucked her in underneath them. He kissed her for head and got back up. He placed the files on the desk and then left the room.

He walked to his own room. It was much cleaner than when Bella had walked in on him. He just had the feeling that he would need to make his room cleaner. And because his room was cleaner his mother knew that he had his heart or at least his mind set on a girl even if she didn't know who the girl was at that moment.

He walked over to his bed and threw back the covers before slipping out of his jeans and his dress shirt before climbing in and pulling the covers him. Jasper lied there on his bed awake for hours. He could not get to sleep no matter how hard he tried sleep it evaded him like and outlaw from the law.

Finally he threw the covers off of him and slipped into his bathroom to take a shower. He climbed back in to his clothes and back into bed. He finally was able to get some sleep.

His dream was one of the better ones he had in the past few years. It was about Bella and him for what he hoped their future could be like if they lasted that long anyway. In the dream he and Bella were standing outside a small house watching a little boy and a little girl running around the yard. He had continued to watch them at first thinking they belonged to Peter and charlotte but realized they belonged to him and Bella. He was still looking at the two kids when he felt warm arms wrap around him. He looked down and saw that it was Bella or a smaller version of her anyway. He smiled at her.

****My uncle would say this when it was his turn to say grace.**

**You also got to know what happened to Alice and up untill this chapter I was going to have Bella find Alice as a drug addict in a New York alley but I didn't.**

**Maye**


	32. In My Dreams Josh Turner

**In My Dreams –Josh Turner**

_**In my dreams, I see  
A little sky blue house beside a small stream  
A front porch, a screen door,  
The sound of bare feet running and cartoons.  
In my dreams, your dreams come true**_

_Jasper had walked out on to the porch of the small home he had built for him and Bella after they got married three years ago. He saw Ellen and Allen running around. He felt at peace. He was where he needed to be. He felt bad that it had taken him so long to get to this point._

"_How are you doing?" Bella asked wrapping her arms around him._

"_I'm good just watching Ellen and Allen." He told her_

"_That's not Ellen and Allen." Bella said. "That's Charlotte Olivia and Jasper Otto they are our kids not Peter and Char's."_

_Jasper took a closer look at the little girl and realized that she was a smaller version of Bella._

"_Daddy, Daddy, Daddy." Little Charlotte chanted as she ran toward him. When she wrapped her arms around his legs he felt a splash of cold water."_

"What the hell?" Jasper said when he woke up covered in water.

"Sorry man I have been trying to wake you up for the past hour." Peter said setting a bucket down.

"Must have been my dream that kept me asleep. I didn't want to wake up."

"Come on Jasper I don't want to hear about your wet dreams."

"It wasn't a wet dream." Jasper snapped. "No leave so I can get ready. We have those cameras to plant."

"You better be ready in an hour or else you'll get another bucket of water on you."

"I will be." Jasper said rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. The dream had been so real to him that he could do nothing but hope that it would come true.

Jasper changed into fresh close and forgone the shower and headed down stairs. His mother was up but she was always up at the crack of dawn. She had a plate of eggs on the table for him.

"Thanks." He said pulling it toward him.

"I'm going to see your uncle today." Carolynn said.

"Mom you know he doesn't want anyone to see him the way he is." Jasper said.

"I know that but he only has a short time left and I still need to say good bye." Carolynn said.

"I know that but couldn't you wait until Peter or I could go with you?" Jasper asked.

"Because I have things to discuss with him when you or Peter are not around." Carolynn told him.

"Should we be worried?" Jasper asked.

"No. You two will be fine." Carolynn said.

"When do you plan on leaving?" Jasper asked her.

"Around noon. Lunch will be ready for you but I'll leave after I finish cooking." Carolynn said.

"Well I go to go meet Peter now otherwise he is likely to throw another bucket of water on me."

"Be careful." Carolynn called after him.

Jasper walked to the barn. Peter was already there saddling the horses. He gave Jasper a nod. Jasper went to the office and unlocked it. But his key didn't work. He grabbed the knob and turned it the door opened.

"Peter did you unlock the office door?" Jasper asked him.

"No I haven't even been down that way why?"

"I locked the door after we left last night and it is open now." Jasper said. "If you didn't do it and I didn't then we've got problems with a burglar."

"Well the horses are ready then let's get the camera's set up here first then we can head out to the property lines. Did Bella finish those Maps?"

"No. I found the north and west half of the property done but not the east and south. I figured we could start with the North West part and work our way over and down."

"That's a good idea what are the specs of the cameras?" Peter asked.

"Specs?"

"You know the distance they can see, film quality things like that."

"Well we have a verity of them. One's that look like bird houses, rocks and then ones that we can hide into trees. They can see about two three hundred feet." Jasper told him. "I figured the bird house one would go near the building we have like barns and the house. The ones that looked like rocks I thing would be best out in the middle of know where on the lines and the others we would put around the property where needed."

"Where's the map now?" Peter asked.

"In my pocket." Jasper said.

"Well get them out and plot where the Camera's would go starting with where Bella said they should go." Peter said. "I'm going to take the horses out to the paddock for a walk while to deal with all that."

Jasper took the plans to the office and laid them out on his desk. He looked around the office and made sure nothing was out of place. He didn't find anything and went to work on the map. Based on the scale of the map; he where the camera's needed to go and had them over lap ten feet.

He had to use a ruler for this and it took him an hour to do it; he also learned that he would have to order ten more to watch over the whole property line but he could order those later tonight and get the rest in now.

"All right Peter let's get the wagon loaded."

"Just out of curiosity where are we having the video sent?" Peter asked.

"The computer in the office but I have a program in place where you have to enter a password to get into it. We'll set that up after the cameras are all put up."

For the next three hours Peter and Jasper worked on getting the camera's set up. They had from west or left side of the entrance to the middle of the back forty property line covered. They headed home for lunch. Their mother was already gone but Jasper knew she was going to leave before hand.

"You done?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah." Peter said tossing his plate in the sink.

They went back outside and climbed on their horses so they could head out and finish the rest of the cameras. They checked on the cattle on their way so far no more had gone missing and the ranch hands they had hired seemed to be doing pretty good without Peter and Jasper there with them.

It was when they were twenty feet from the place of the next camera. Peter had stopped.

"Jasper come back and take a look at this?" Peter said hopping off his horse.

Jasper forced his horse to turn around. He stopped it by Peter's and slipped off and joined Peter by the fence.

"What is it?" Jasper asked him.

"The wire on this section of fence is newer it shines brighter in the sun." Peter pointed out. "Plus it is a heavier grade then what we have in stock on the ranch."

"So someone has been taking our cattle. I say we call the other ranchers that have called us to see if we were having the same problem to see what they are doing about it but let's finish the camera's first." Jasper said.

"Let's hurry because if we get it done quick enough we can have the meeting here before ma get's back."

"Why not just invite them for a barbeque then that would cover us with ma if she returns early." Jasper said.

"Good point. Alright so which camera is going in this spot. There aren't many trees around so a bird house would seem wrong."

"I would go rock." Jasper said. "It would blend in with the rocks, which are around here."

Jasper and Peter set to work like they had planned. Since the cameras were all wireless; they had to make sure the signal worked. It was easy and only took a few minutes each to position them and turn them on.

They were on the third to last one when they spotted more of the strange fence wire that they didn't use. They took pictures of it and continued on. It was getting dark and there was no point in calling the meeting with the other cattle men until tomorrow.

They had finished up the last one and started packing up the equipment that they had been using into the wagon that carried it all.

"Peter tighten that strap over their again. It keeps on coming loose." Jasper said.

Peter had tried to tighten it again and had fallen backward. He stood up cussing up a storm.

"Just hand me the dang duck tape that strap is faulty." Peter said holding out his hand."

"_Peter! Jasper!" _they heard someone call.

"Over here." Peter called without thinking.

Jasper made sure the shot gun he brought with him was in sight. The person calling came into view. When they got closer they saw that it was Bella and she didn't look happy. Bella stopped her horse in front of them.

_Warning bells went off in their heads. Something was seriously wrong._

**Hello my lovely readers,**

**I apologize for taking so long to get this chapter up. I got distracted with writing my novel and other fanfics. I hope you like this chapter it like a few others after this one kind of wrote themselves after I first hit the keys. Now in the spirit of the season please leave a review.**

**Maye**


	33. Fall Into Me Brantley Gilbert

_**Fall into Me –Brantley Gilbert**_

Bella had just left for her afternoon class. She was excited for it. She would get to see what her English teacher thought of her 'novel', a project that was set before Christmas. She had worked weeks on it and had kept it a secret from Jasper and well everyone of the Whitlock's because it was inspired by them. But in order to hear what her professor had to say about it she had to wait along with the twenty other people in her class.

"_Bella Swan."_ The professor called.

"Yes?" Bella asked.

"Your novel is interesting but it isn't something that could be accepted by the masses." The professor said. "You can tell your green to the writing world."

"I know that and I also didn't plan on having it published so I don't see what that has to do with anything." Bella replied.

"I wasn't saying that it couldn't be published but a little editing and you could get it published. Interview some law enforcement officers and people who have lived through what you wrote about and that could breathe a little more life into your 'novel'."

"Thanks for the idea." Bella said.

"You did the assignment like I asked and you received a one hundred percent on it." The professor said.

Bella got up to leave.

"Bella if you do edit the 'novel' like I suggested please let me read it. I'd rather like the idea of seeing the improvements you have made to it."

"Sure; if I remember to do so." Bella replied before leaving the office.

After leaving the school Bella went to see Alice. She had been staying with Carlisle and Esme. She pulled up to their small home just outside of town. After she knocked on the door Alice was the one to answer and let her in.

"Are you okay?" Bella asked taking her coat off.

"Oh I'm fine. My mother finally found me and demanded that I get back to school. I hung up on her." Alice said. "How are you?"

"I'm good. Just wanted to drop by and see you. Have you contacted Angela and let her know you are okay."

"I haven't been able to catch her. I called earlier and some guy answered the phone. It didn't sound lie Ben so I figured it was some roommate of his." Alice said.

"Actually it was probably their landlord. Guy's an idiot and wouldn't think twice about answering someone's phone even if there is an answering machine." Bella said.

"Oh." Alice said.

"I guess I should get going. Sorry I couldn't stay longer. I have work to do back at the ranch." Bella said.

"See you again soon."Alice said hugging Bella. "Besides you have to tell me more about that cowboy of yours."

"Yeah I will." Bella said leaving.

She ran into Esme outside.

"Hello Bella leaving already?" Esme asked.

"Yeah I have work I need to finish. I just came by to see how Alice was doing." Bella said. "She's doing really good by the looks of it."

"Yeah she was doing better the week we got her out of New York."

"That's good well see ya some other time." Bella said slipping into her car.

She stopped by the Mars Privet Investigation Company. Veronica or Ronnie as the door called her was sitting behind her desk.

"Bella right?" Veronica asked.

"Yes. I just came to tell you that I don't require your services any longer." Bella told her.

"So you have found Alice I believe her name was."

"Yes she has actually been here in Texas for months. She showed up to a dinner party yesterday after I left here." Bella said. "Kind of freaky if you asked me but I also knew the woman she came with so I knew it was her."

"Well I am glad that you found your friend but I will miss your check." Veronica said. "Just let me find your file and I'll give it to you and let you go."

"Okay. I'll go sit in one of those chairs then." Bella replied.

Veronica went searching for the file with Bella's name on it. It took awhile but she found it under a whole stack of old cases. Bella ripped up the check once she was out of the office and safely in her car. She started it up and headed for home.

She got nervous when she spotted a black SUV following her. Deciding to test them and see if she was really being followed without being paranoid about something because she was a cop's daughter she headed for the closest grocery store. She could use the snack sense she wasn't home for lunch.

When she left the store after grabbing a sandwich the SUV was gone. She drove home in peace without the SUV appearing in her rear view mirror again. She pulled up to the house Jasper and Peter's trucks were both there but their horses were gone from the barn when she went to check on them. _They must be working._ Bella thought as she left to change into work clothes.

She walked back out to the barns and cleaned the stalls. The job sucked but other than Jasper and Peter no one did the job right at all. The stalls took about two hours to finish. She then took hay bales and put fresh hey in all the stalls and food troughs for the cow when they were brought back in to the paddocks.

When she was done with that she put the horses back into their stalls and went inside to clean up and do homework from other classes she was taking but none of which she like as much as her English class. The phone had rang causing Bella to run down the stairs so she could answer it.

"Whitlock residence." Bella answered.

"Bella it's Carolynn."

"Is everything okay Carolynn?" Bella asked.

"I'm fine but I was just calling to say that Jasper and Peter's uncle just passed a few minutes ago." Carolynn said.

"Do you want to tell them?" Bella asked.

"Could you tell them please? I'm going to stay in a hotel for the night. I'm to shaken to drive home at the moment."

"Sure Carolynn I can do that." Bella said.

"Thank you Bella." Carolynn said.

"See you tomorrow." Bella told her before Carolynn had hung up.

Bella started panicking. She didn't want to be the one to deliver the bad news to them but she knew that she had to be. Bella had just started to pace back and forth when Charlotte arrived.

Charlotte put the twins down for a nap and came back to see what was wrong with Bella.

"Are you okay?" Charlotte asked after stopping Bella's pacing.

"I'm fine but Carolynn asked me to tell Peter and Jasper that their uncle passed." Bella said. "I don't want to do it but I told her that I would and now I don't have a single clue on how to do it other than like a band-aid which makes me sound crude. Charlotte I really don't want to let her down."

"Bella where's Carolynn?" Charlotte asked.

"She is staying in town for the night. She'll be home tomorrow." Bella said.

"Then calm down Bella. You have until tomorrow to tell the boys about their uncle."

"They are going to hate me Char."

"No they won't. They will seem a little distant but that's only because they have lost someone in their lives not because they hate you." Charlotte told her.

"I might as well get it over with." Bella said leaving the house.

While leaving the house Bella had decided that it was best to get it over with and walked out to the barn and saddled up a horse for herself and went looking for Peter and Jasper. They were setting up the security camera system and could be any number of places on the ranch so it would take her awhile to find them.

She finally spotted the two men on the east side of the ranch. They were packing up the wagon and possibly heading back to the house. She thought about waiting until they got back to the house and decided that wasn't a good idea.

Bella forced her horse to move forward and closer toward them. They looked up when they heard the horse coming toward them. She waved and finally pulled to a stop in front of them. She slipped off her horse and turned toward them.

"Bella what are you doing out here, I thought you had school?" Jasper said.

"I did and I'm finished for the day." Bella said looking down at her feet.

"Bella why are you here nothing happened to Ma did it?" Jasper asked.

"No your Mama is fine." Bella said. "But your uncle isn't."

"What do you mean?" Peter asked.

"Your uncle passed away about a half hour ago. Your mother asked me to tell you." Bella said.


	34. Laugh Until we Cried Jason Aldean

_**Laugh until we cried –Jason Aldean**_

_**This past year my family  
Was sittin' cross legged 'round the Christmas tree  
Listenin' to granddad  
We all knew it probably be his last  
He was crackin' jokes and we were takin' turns  
Tellin' stories 'bout fishin' or lessons learned  
Out on the porch with him  
We all felt like kids again  
Oh man we were livin  
Sittin' there reminiscin'  
We sang and talked and traveled back in time  
We laughed until we cried**_

Bella had just gotten back from telling Jasper and Peter their uncle was dead. They were in the barn putting the equipment up. Bella heard a truck start up and knew that it was Peter leaving because he was the oldest he would also be the one to help his mother out with the funeral plans. She had no idea where Jasper was and couldn't see him anywhere from her bedroom window.

She sighed in relief when she heard the footsteps on the stairs and then the landing after that. The footsteps stopped outside her room. That spiked her fear. Her door flew open and Jasper walked in and right up to her. Gently he put his hands on either side of her waist. He leaned down and kissed her.

Bella was shocked and didn't react at first but after she got use to it she put her arms round him slowly and deepened the kiss.

Bella woke up the next morning with the sun rays beating her back. Jasper was gone and so were his clothes even though he said he would stay until she woke up. She grabbed her clothes and went to take a shower.

After showering Bella decide to get to work skipping breakfast in the process. She didn't see Jasper at al but he could be out repairing a fence or something like that. She headed back to the house around lunch time. Carolynn was home and cooking away in the kitchen.

"How are you Bella?" Carolynn asked.

"Fine. Have you seen Jasper?" Bella answered.

"He went into town to get something. He wouldn't tell me what but I suspect it has to do with the ranch."

"You are probably right."

"Well lunch is almost done Bella why don't you go wash up."

"Will do." Bella said walking away.

Bella had washed her face, hands and changed her shirt and went down to lunch. Jasper was there but he was silent and didn't make any sort of recognition toward her. It upset Bella greatly but she didn't show it.

"Bella are you all right dear?" Carolynn asked.

"I'm fine. Just a bit tired is all." Bella replied.

"You should try warm milk at night. It sounds childish but it works. Even for us old folk."

"I'll try it tonight and tell you how it goes." Bella said.

"It'll work alright."

It has been five days since Jasper and Peter's uncle passed away. Jasper had become distant with Bella like Charlotte had told her he would. The first two days were hard for her to ignore him but he didn't want to talk to her at all but Bella got over it and there herself into her school work and the chores she had to do on the ranch.

But today would be the hardest day of all for every one because it was the day of their uncle's funeral. Bella had slipped the back dress she was wearing on ten minutes ago and was now waiting to leave for the church.

There was a knock on Bella's door. Bella knew that it was Charlotte telling her that it was time to leave. Bella slipped her shoes on and went down stairs with the others. She would ride in a truck with Charlotte while Jasper, Peter and Carolynn rode in a limousine.

When they got to the church only four other cars were in the parking lot. Bella had assumed that it would be close family and a few friends attending.

"Charlotte you can go with Peter I'll take care of the twins." Bella spoke.

"Are you sure they can be a handful now that they are walking?" Charlotte asked.

"Of course if anyone should leave the service because of noise kids it should be me. You need to be with Peter right now. If I do leave the church I will take the kids to that swing set over there."

"Ok but they shouldn't get fussy until the end of the service but that is usually when they eat lunch."

"Snacks are in the bag right?" Bella asked.

"Yes."

Bella sat in one of the pews closest to the back so the twins could play quietly with their toys. She watched as everyone else took their seats at the front of the church; all their eyes resting upon the blue gray casket in the middle of the altar.

Sniffles could be heard as Peter stepped up to the podium to give the eulogy he had been requested to give. His hands shook as he pulled a couple of not cards from his pocket.

"I had a big speech planed but that's not the type of man my uncle was. He was simple. He had more money than he ever knew what to do with because he was such a simple man." Peter stated. "I guess his funeral or burial should be no different as you can tell by the absence of flowers on or around his casket. He had requested that any money that would be spent on flowers would be given to charity rather than spend on quote 'an old man who would have no use for them anyway' unquote. So with his death I will honor him with a phrase shorter than his life but meant so much to him. It can be found in first Corinthians chapter sixteen versus thirteen and fourteen. _**Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.****_" And with that Peter stopped talking and walked away from the podium and sat down next to Jasper.

It was after that when the minister stood up and gave a small sermon elaborating a little bit on the scripter that Peter had read aloud. It was short and sweet going along with what Jasper and Peter's uncle would have wanted.

Bella took the twins out to the truck when she knew they would moving the casket from the alter to the hearse. Peter and Jasper were Paul bearers. They would be two of the six men to carry the casket out to the hearse.

Charlotte joined Bella in the truck after a few minutes. She didn't say anything. Bella didn't and couldn't blame her she would be the same way she was the same way. She had no clue what to say to any one and she didn't know half of the people here.

Once the hearse started to move the limo and other cars started to move. Bella and Charlotte were fourth in line. It didn't take long to get to the cemetery which as bout three miles down the road.

Bella pulled to the side of an old dirt road. She climbed out and helped Charlotte with getting the twins out. She held Allen while Charlotte held Ellen. Jasper and Peter were already carrying the casket toward the open grave. Bella's heart stopped it was just something she would never get over. She didn't like these types of things.

"I'll take Allen." Peter said when they were done.

Bella handed the boy over and stood behind the two rows of chairs they had set up. Bella would have gone and sat by Jasper but the seat was taken up by a distant cousin who insisted on sitting in the front row. Bella had a bad feeling about the man but would keep it to herself until a more appropriate time showed up.

The family stood up and each took a flower –the only flowers used on this day- and placed it on the casket. Bella took one from the basket where they lay and placed it on the casket and walked to the truck leaving Jasper and his family to their own.

She sat in the truck alone. She couldn't help but feel lonely. It didn't take long for Charlotte to bring the twins to the truck and buckle them in while she waited for Peter who followed shortly after.

"Jasper's riding with ma in the limo." He said opening the truck door.

Bella got out of the truck and moved in to the back of the cab with the twins. She leaned back into the corner of the cap. Once Jasper and his mother were in the limo the precession made its way down the road and through town back to the ranch.

Back at the ranch things were a little bit better. Charlotte was happier now that the twins could walk around and play with all their toys and not just a few. Carolynn sat in the corner that allowed people to go through and give their condolences. Jasper sat beside her with a coffee cup clutched in his hand looking at the floor and nowhere else.

Bella got up from her seat and walked back into the kitchen where she felt better like she wasn't watching a movie of someone's life that she wasn't allowed in on. A little over an hour later everyone but the man claiming to be a cousin had left. The hairs on the back of Bella's neck stood up when the man walked into the kitchen.

"So how do you know my cousin's?" he asked.

"I work for them." Bella replied. "And if you don't mind my asking what is your name?"

"Parker Whitlock," he said.

"How come I haven't met you before?" Bella asked.

"I live up in North Dakota with my wife." Parker said.

"How come she didn't come with you?"

"She's eight months pregnant and wasn't able to fly and her doctor didn't want her in a car that long."

"Are you staying long?" Bella asked.

"Only a week. Then I will have to get back to work and everything up in ND." Parker replied.

Parker did indeed stay. Bella was still weary of him. She was on her way up the stairs when she heard him yelling at someone on the phone.

"I don't have anything. I haven't found anything." He yelled hanging it up.

Bella had quickly run to her room after that and hid inside the room. When she heard his door open she opened hers.

"Is everything okay I kind of heard you yelling." Bella said.

"Everything is fine my wife wants this table that she insists is somewhere here in Texas but I haven't been able to find it." Parker said.

"You should try the antique mall on Second Street." Bella said. "They usually have a nice collection of things you might find it there."

"Thanks for the tip."

"That's all right just try to be calmer next time I have studying to do and that kind of yelling distracts me." Bella told him.

"I will keep that in mind." Parker said "And sorry for disturbing your studying." He added heading down the stairs after pulling the door closed.

Bella knowing that it would be here moment snuck into Parker's room. She looked through his things with the grace of a cop. She didn't find much but what she did find was a smoking gun. It was an ID with the name Demetri Castel and 'Parker's' picture on it. It also said he was from Italy not America like he had claimed. She quickly took a picture of the ID and passport and everything else that was in the small envelope.

Bella quickly put everything back the way she found it and hurried out of the room. The footsteps she heard on the stairs did nothing to help that matter. She had just closed her door –lightly- when she heard the steps on the landing just outside her door.

She knew she needs to talk to Jasper for more than one reason but he was avoiding her right now. She settled on the fact that she would have to corner him when he was alone. And to get him alone Bella figured that it would be best if she acted like she was angry with him even though she was the complete opposite.

Looking at her phone Bella snatched it up and called the only person she could think of.

"Bells?" he answered.

"Yeah dad."

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No but I do need you to look up a name for me."

"What did you get yourself into."

"It's not me. I just got one of those weird feelings you get about this guy not to mention the name he gave doesn't match the name on the ID I found."

"All right give me both names." Charlie said.

"Parker Whitlock and Demetrius Castel." Bella told him.

****This is a direct quote from my bible. I love ther verses and belived it to be perfect for the situation.**

**Sorry for updating late. I got distracted by writing again. I hope you like this chapter the end is coming soon don't know when but it is because I have one or two chapters left to write maybe more. Then it will be Alice or Angela's story.**

**Maye**


	35. Good to go Jason Aldean

**_Good to Go –Jason Aldean_**

**_Yeah, I've been thinking about where I'm at  
On my not so straight and narrow path  
And I wouldn't wanna change nothing about  
This roll with the punches life I've had_**

_**I had an all-American mom and dad**_  
_**Some of the coolest friends you could ever have**_  
_**Found love I thought I'd never find**_  
_**I can't believe this life is mine**_  
_**And I'm not planning on leaving yet**_  
_**But the truth is you just never know**_  
_**And if this is as good as it gets**_  
_**Man, I think I'm good to go**_  
_**I'm good to go**_  
_**I'm good to go**_

Jasper sat in traffic it had been over three weeks since he last spoke to Bella. He was on his way in to town. Traffic Jam the only time anybody sat in traffic Jam in this town is if there was a funeral. He theory was proven evident when a hearse followed by a limo and a sting of cars made its way in front of him. He couldn't help but feel sorry for them considering that he was in their position a little over three weeks ago.

He pulled his truck to a stop in front of a strip of four stores. The grocery store, Jewelry store, the pawn shop and a clothing store. He found the one he wanted and walked right up to it.

He walked up to the counter and rang the bell that would call someone to help him. He waited a few seconds when a old man in a white dress shirt and a pinstriped vest and black pants walk in.

"Ahh Mr. Whitlock how may I help you this evening?" the man asked.

"Well Jenks I was wondering if my order from three weeks ago was ready yet?" Jasper asked.

"Oh I forgot about that let me check to see if it is ready."

The man disappeared into the back room. Jasper took the time to look at the cases. Most of them he found boring and filled with things that didn't catch his eye. In the last case he spotted something that he just knew he had to get.

"You are in luck Mr. Whitlock it had come in last week. I should have called you but things have been busy around here." Jenks said.

"That's quite all right and I would like this too." Jasper said pointing into the case. "How much is it?"

"It is three hundred but I'll accept two hundred since it's been here a while." Jenks said.

"Wrap it up too."

"For someone special?" Jenks asked.

"You could say that." Jasper replied.

He watched as Jenks wrapped up his purchases. Together worth more than he ever spent at the store or any store unless it was for the ranch. The ranch was what he spent his money on and would now be his. Well it was Peter's too but he would be the one running it.

"Here you go and let's go to the register and I'll take your cash."

"You always do." Jasper said taking his wrapped packages out to his truck –after paying of course.

He went to put the packages inside the truck but stopped when he spotted the yellow envelope on his windshield. He snapped it right up. He put the envelope and packages inside his truck before climbing in and driving away. He arrived home a few minutes later.

Parker –his cousin- was still there because he had gotten hurt while out riding a horse and his doctor didn't want him flying home. Jasper thought he was just trying to pull something over on Jasper and his family and that didn't sit well with him.

He grabbed his packages and went inside after parking.

"Ma." He called.

"I'm in the kitchen." She called.

"Kind of early to start dinner." Jasper commented.

"Well yes but this roast takes two hours to bake." Carolynn said.

"Parker still here?" Jasper asked.

"Yes and I don't see what your problem is with him."

"Ma I have a feeling he's playing us." Jasper said.

"Jasper Otto you are supposed to see the good in people not the bad." Carolynn said.

"I know that but I have the feeling that Dad used to get." Jasper said.

"Oh no not that again." Carolynn said.

Jasper left the room and went up stairs to put the packages away until he was ready to give them away but what he really wanted was to get a look at the envelope he had stuffed in his shirt. He sat the packages down on his bed and turned to lock his door.

He drew the envelope out of his shirt and ripped it open. In side were three pictures and a short letter and more documents. He took the three pictures and laid them out on his desk and set the letter and documents aside. They were of an ID, a passport and a map that looked a lot like Whitlock ranch.

He had been right just like his dad had been right whenever he got that feeling. He had no idea what to do. His glanced turned to the stack of white paper's he had set aside. He looked trough them and found out that Demetrius 'Parker' Castel was a thief and a 'treasure' hunter. He was ruthless and would do anything to get what he wanted. It was also proven that he was a close friend of Aro Volturi. _No wonder why he's ruthless._ Jasper thought.

After reading through the document's Jasper finally gave in and read the letter. He recognized the hand writing as Bella's.

_Jasper,_

_I wanted to tell you my suspicions person about what I thought of 'Parker' but I never could get the courage up. I wasn't sure if I was being just a worry wart or not so I called my dad who is a police chief and had him look into the names. He only gave me what any public person could find._

_I would've told you or showed you this information in person but you have been distant since your uncle passed and I don't blame you for the behavior. I just wanted you to know and didn't think I could tell you in person without getting mad at you._

_ I don't know why I would when I was only with you roughly two days when you started to become distant. All though I do have two friends who would both say that I have the right to be pissed about you so blatantly ignoring me._

_Jasper just promise me you will use this information to do good. Right the wrongs someone is trying to commit on your family._

_I. Swan_

Jasper took the photos, letter and documents and locked them up in the safe he had bolted to his closet floor and surrounded by would so it would blend it with the wood that made up his closet. Just as he closed the closet door there was a knock at his bedroom door.

"Who is it?" he called opening a dresser drawer and placing his packages inside.

"It's Parker."

"Just let me get decent and I'll open the door." Jasper called slipping off his button up and slipping on a t-shirt.

"So what did you need Parker?" Jasper asked barley keeping the Malice out of his voice.

"I was wondering if you could tell me more about how the ranch operates and things like that so I could take them back to North Dakota and try them out."

"I'm sorry I don't talk business I haven't been given the reins yet and no offence I wouldn't talk to you about them any way. I keep the ranch's business practices secret from computers and people I hardly know. You may be family but that doesn't mean I trust you." Jasper said.

"No man it's all right I get it. I would be the same way if you came up to my place in ND." Parker stated.

"Just out of curiosity have you seen Bella today?" Jasper asked. "We have a section of fencing that needs to be replaced before summer comes." _A total lie._ Jasper thought.

"No I haven't seen her. I've been stuck inside most of the day anyway but the doc said I could go home Monday."

"Well it was good to meet you. See you soon." Jasper said. "But that is if I don't see you again."

Parker walked awkwardly back to his room. Jasper waited till he was out of his light of sight and hearing to close his bedroom door and lock it again. After which he pulled out his phone and called Bella.

"Jasper I'm on my way to a final what do you need."

"I think you are right about _Parker._"

"It doesn't surprise me. I am a cop's daughter after all." Bella said.

"Listen I'm sorry I have be so—"

"Standoffish rude pig headed." Bella supplied.

"Yes all of those." Jasper said. "But I want to take you to dinner to apologize."

"I guess I can do that but the first time you start acting like a jerk I'm gone." Bella said.

"I don't plan on being one. I also figured that you could help me come up with a plan on catching _Parker _and Aro. So we can take those idiots down for good."

"Of course I would be glad to help. I could even call my dad and see what he would say about this."

"That might be a good idea I don't want to do anything that could get us arrested for breaking any law whether it be local or federal."

"I would be more concerned about the federal laws." Bella said. "I'm sorry to end the conversation here but I really have to get to class."

"I'll pick you up from your room at six."

"See you then." Bella told Jasper.

Jasper hung up his phone and placed it on his desk. He had four hours until he had to meet Bella at her room. But Bella wasn't even home yet so he didn't see the point in getting ready and figured it would be best to wait until Bella got home.

To pass the time Jasper headed out to the barn. He figure he let enough time pass camera's to have caught something on them. He was surprised to see Peter there.

"Peter I thought you were out in San Antonio for the week."

"That offer fell through and Charlotte doesn't really want to be on her family's farm now that Daddy dearest has come back to town." Peter replied.

"So are you two moving here?" Jasper asked.

"Thinking about it. I mean Ma said that the ranch was basically ours she just has to approve any big plans we have for the place." Peter said. "And no matter how much you think you can do it on your own you need my help running this place."

"I think I just might have the perfect plan for that." Jasper said. "You would be included and Charlotte could come to."

"How—what do you have planned?"

"Nothing right now but come to dinner with Bella and I tonight. She is calling her dad to see what we could do and not get into legal trouble." Jasper told him. "And I also have something I need to show you but I can't do it here."

"Can't show what here?"

"Bella." Peter and Jasper both greeted.

"I thought you had class?"

"I thought I did too but it was canceled after the professor's wife went into labor and he ran out of the room screaming 'I'm going to be a daddy'. I'm sure the video of it will appear on YouTube in the next couple of days." Bella explained.

"Cool. I invited Peter and Charlotte with us tonight." Jasper said.

"That's fine we needed to inform them any way. The only reason I don't want your Ma in on it is because of the stress it would cause her." Bella said.

"I'll call Charlotte and have her get the twins ready." Peter said. "Ma would watch them for us."

"Well get going it's almost six and that's when Jasper said he would pick me up and my room." Bella said laughing.

"Dude seriously if you keep on with this romantic sissy crud Charlotte will expect me to do it and I don't have the time to think of those things with two rugrats running around." Peter told Jasper.

"Then I guess you better get to working. Maybe even take one of those edict classes offered at the college."

"They do offer those Peter and they are starting a new one next week." Bella said laughing. "You know what Peter you should do it to as a surprise for Charlotte."

"I would but Charlotte hates that stuffy crap." Peter said. "He mother tried to get her to do the whole Debutant thing but she refused because it wasn't her and she already met the one she was going to marry."

"And that was you?" Bella asked.

"Of course it was. Charlotte's refusal to do the Debutant thing is also why her mom still can't stand me." Peter said. "Even though; I have proven myself to be a good husband."


	36. I'm Alright JoDee

**The update chapter has been replaced. This is the second new chapter so please go read the one before this so you do not lose out on the story line at all.**

**Peace to you all,**

**Maye**

_**I'm alright JoDee Messina**_

_**Well I hate to see this evening end  
God only knows when I'll see you again  
Just send a fax or send me a letter or give me a call that would even be better  
Give the kids a kiss for me and say hello to the family  
And tell them all my future's lookin' bright  
Well, I miss 'em but I'm doin' alright  
I said I miss 'em but I'm doin' alright  
I'm all, I'm all, I'm alright  
It's a beautiful day not a cloud in sight so I guess I'm doin' alright  
o- oh, o- oh, I'm alright  
Got a good old friend here with me tonight and I guess I'm doin' alright  
Well I guess I'm doin' alright  
I'm doin' alright**_

Bella had just slipped her shoes on when there was a knock at her door.

"Bella you decent?" _it was Jasper._

"Come on it Jasper." She called.

"Are you ready?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah just let me grab my phone and bag."

"Could you put these in it?" Jasper asked.

"Of course. I'm sure Charlotte would love the surprise." Bella said.

"What was that about?"

"_Parker."_ Bella mouthed. "Well we better be going or Peter would eat all the food before we get there."

"No he won't Char will smack him over the head with a fork or plate."

Bella grabbed her bag –after putting the file and cell phone in- and walked out of her room with Jasper. She knew _Parker _was watching her and Jasper. It was creepy but she, Jasper, Peter and Charlotte would come up with a plan to destroy him and the Volturi brothers and their father in the process.

"Hop in Bells."Jasper said holding the truck door open.

"What is this?" Bella asked holding up a small box.

"It's something that I got in town today. I knew I had been acting like a jerk and figured this would make up for it."

"It is a good start but it doesn't completely make up for it." Bella said. "And you do realize that it is worth about ten thousand dollars?"

"No I did not." Jasper replied. "I only paid twenty bucks for it."

"So that is like a really big profit margin if I sold it."

"I guess so and I didn't even realize it was a first edition. I just thought you would like an old looking version of Pride and Prejudice."

"You were right I would." Bella said. "I would like to read it now but we have a dinner to get to."

A few minutes later Jasper and Bella pulled up outside and dingy looking restaurant.

"I guess it's a good thing I went casual." Bella said.

"The food is much better than this place looks." Jasper said. "I promise, plus they have a room where the four of us can eat in privet."

"It'll be easier to so the information we have." Bella said.

"Bingo." Jasper said.

"If you two are done making goo goo eyes at each other we have food to eat and business to discuss." Peter said walking up with Charlotte right behind him.

The group walked in. Jasper stopped to talk with a balding man for a minute. The balding man then led them to a room at the back of the restaurant.

"The room is ready for you. I will send Lisa in few to take your orders."

"Just bring a few of the Platters in that way we can eat a little bit of everything." Jasper said. "And use only mild sauce."

Jasper than led the group into the room. They all sat down around the small round table. Charlotte and Peter were one side and Jasper and Bella were on the other said.

"So what did you two want to talk about?" Peter asked.

"This." Jasper replied pulling out the file.

"What is it?" Charlotte asked.

Jasper pulled three of the photographs out of the file and slid them face down on the table over to Peter and Charlotte.

"Are these pictures what you wanted me to show me earlier?" Peter asked.

"Yes. There's more to it than just the pictures but I want to wait until the food gets here before I show you."

"Is it that bad?" Peter said.

"Yes and it is because of Bella that we have it at all."

"What did she hack into some government computer?" Charlotte asked.

"I did not." Bella said. "I called my dad and had him look in to it. He can do it without getting in to trouble."

"How is he a hacker?" Peter asked.

"No he is a police chief but he did arrest a hacker once." Bella replied.

"Are you guys ready to order?" a waitress asked.

"I thought Lisa was going to be our server?" Jasper asked.

"She sprained her ankle and had to go home. I'm Jane and I'll be your server this evening."

"Okay we would like the platters so we can have a bit of everything mild sauce on the side and as for drinks you will have to ask them; I however will take ice water."

"What would the rest of you like?" Jane asked.

"Water," Bella, Charlotte and Peter said at the same time.

"I'll bring out a pitcher of Ice water so you can serve yourselves." Jane replied leaving the room.

Bella had waited for the door so close before speaking again.

"There is something odd about that girl," Bella stated.

"What do you mean?" Jasper asked.

"Just one of those feelings you know."

"I guess it comes from being a cop's daughter."

"There is that but it also comes from my mother's incompetence with any kind of responsibility." Bella said

Jasper squeezed Bella's hand to comfort her.

"I need the restroom," Bella said. "Do you know where it is?"

"It's down the hallway only the opposite side of it. There is a sign on the door so it shouldn't be too hard to find it." Jasper told her.

Bella got up and left the room in search of the bathroom.

"Is she alright?" Charlotte asked.

"Her mother is a sore subject with her." Jasper said. "She really doesn't like to talk –"

Jasper had cut himself off when the door had started to open.

"Here is your pitcher of ice water and your platters should be along in a few minutes." Jane said setting the pitcher on the table.

"Thanks Jane." Jasper said.

A few minutes later Bella came back and sat back down.

"Are you okay?" Jasper asked.

"I'm fine could you hand me the pitcher."

He handed it to her. Bella grabbed the handle and bottom of the pitcher so she wouldn't spill it. She felt a chunk of plastic on the bottom. She lifted the pitcher to see what it was.

"Bella what are you looking at?" Peter asked as Charlotte and Jasper just continued to stare at her.

Bella only answered by putting her finger to her lips and pointed to the bottom of the pitcher while looking at the bottom of it. She saw the chunk of plastic was indeed plastic. The chunk of plastic was small and could practically fit anywhere and most people wouldn't recognize it. She pulled it off to take a closer look before she handed it off to Jasper.

"Is that what I think it is?" Peter asked.

"Ohh it's so pretty." Charlotte said before writing _'Don't want whoever is listening to know we found it.'_

"Yes." Jasper replied.

~!~

While Jasper and company discovered the electronic bug the waitress Jane was listening in on the conversation. Most of what she heard was the mindless chit chat as they waited for Bella to come back.

"_Are you okay?"_ a male asked Jane knew to be Jasper asked.

"_I'm fine could you hand me the pitcher_."A female she assumed to be because she was the only one that had left the room.

"_Is that what I think it is?"_ a new male said.

"_Ohh its so pretty." _A new female voice said.

Jane assumed the new voices to be that of the other couple in the room with Jasper and Bella. She didn't know who they were but had assumed the man to be Jasper's brother.

"_Yes." _Jasper replied.

Jane couldn't continue to listen in because she had to get out of the restaurant without being noticed by the rest of the staff. She may have been an FBI agent but if she was spotted it could ruin all the hard work she had put in to her case.

Jane leaned down to a waitress Lisa's face and said "You never saw me." After which she snatched up her bag and slipped out of the room and into the bathroom so she changed into street clothes in the bathroom before leaving the restaurant. Her close friend and partner in crime or law enforcement Alec was waiting for her when she got outside.

"How did it go?" he asked taking her bag.

"Good. The GPS tracker and bug are in place. I think the poor sap proposed to the idiot brunette." Jane said. "Now where is the car?"

"On the east side of the lot behind the black truck." Alec said. "It gave the biggest cover."

"I don't care as long as we get the job done. I want to get out of this two bit town as fast as possible." Jane told him.

"Hey the brothers are 'paying' us good money to do this. It was to—"

"We can't keep it and you know that." Jane snapped cutting Alec off. "You tell me every single time I start to complain about one little thing in this stupid town but we have a case to solve and I have the right to complane."


	37. Would you go with me2 Josh Turner

_**WouldYou Go With Me–JoshTurner**_

"Seriously you think that is a good plan. I can spot three ways you could get killed before you are a third of the way through the plan." Jasper stated.

"Fine you come up with a better one." Peter challenged.

"You two are both idiots." Bella said. "You need to set up a sting operation."

"How do you suppose we do that?" Jasper asked.

"Do any of the ranch hands that you trust want to go into law enforcement at all?" Bella asked.

"There is one, Paul, He doesn't talk about it much but he might be willing to help." Peter said before Jasper could answer.

"Okay Bella we have the potential law enforcement what is the plan?" Jasper asked.

"First off you need to have a big fight in public with you saying if he screws up again that he's fired and for the time being has docked pay." Bella said. "Then you could have him go to the hang outs of those idiot brothers trying to hurt you guys and talk loudly about how he wants to get back at you."

"Not a bad start but how would that help?" Peter said.

"Well you have to let me finished." Bella said. "If the Volturi brothers take his bait have him set up a 'meeting' at the old abandon cabin on the east side of the property not far from the fire roads. You could wire it with cameras and listening devices that you can hand over to the police and you might want to get the other farmers and ranchers to see if they want to help."

"I'll do that before Charlotte and I go home tonight." Peter said.

"Why not now?" Bella asked. "Better to do it early before most are in bed."

"Good point." Peter said moving out of the office to make his calls.

"I'll set up the cameras. We have some left over that I was going to send back because we had all we needed."

"You better not do that tonight." Bella said. "I don't like you being out after dark."

"Bella the cabin has no light source in it so I wouldn't be able to do it anyway." Jasper told her. "Besides I don't want you out of my sight until this is all over with."

"You need to stop reading that file."

"Bella they have had over a dozen people killed. I have a perfectly good reason to be worried."

"She is right Jasper." Peter said.

"How'd it go?" Jasper asked.

"Good we only have five willing to help but they are all ex-military." Peter said. "We have three sharp shooters, an ex army major and a navy petty officer who was taught to shoot by one of the sharp shooters."

"Why do I feel like we are part of that TV show LEVERAGE?"

"Because in a way we are and you are tired because you didn't get much sleep last night." Jasper said.

"I can't help it. I haven't been able to get much sleep at all the past few weeks." Bella said.

"If it continues you're going to the doctor for two reasons I can't have a sick ranch hand and I care about you too much to just sit and watch you get sicker."

"Jasper I am just tired I am not sick."

"Well you should go to bed. Peter and I still have to bring the horses back in to the barn." Jasper said.

"I could he—" Bella said.

"NO. Now go to bed." Jasper said. "Please."

"Fine." Bella said.

"I'll come in and see you if you are not a sleep when get in." Jasper said kissing her on the fore head.

"You know I will be awake. With everything going on there is no way I could sleep knowing that you could be in danger."

"Bella, I will be fine. Peter and I both have a rifle, shotgun and revolver on us in case we need to protect ourselves."

"What if you can't get to them?" Bella asked.

"The revolvers are on us at all times." Jasper said pulling his jacket open to reveal the gun in its holster. "Peter's is located on his left side because he is left handed."

"I'm going to leave now. I better not hear any gun shots going off." Bella said.

"You won't." Jasper said getting up from his chair to follow her.

Peter had followed Jasper. When they go to the barn doors they stopped and Bella had continued on toward the house. There was a full moon so she had no need for a flash light to get to the house but Jasper still watched to make sure that she made it okay.

"You are in love with her." Peter said. It wasn't a question but a statement.

"Of course, how could I be anything else?" Jasper replied.

"You would be an idiot if you weren't. Now let's go and bring those horses in."

"We need to clean their feet too." Jasper said. "They have been out all day and probably have built up a lot of gunk in their shoes."

"I know they will need to be replaced in the next couple of weeks too."

"I'll have Emmet take a look when he and Rose get back to town." Jasper said. "He's the only one that would have any idea if the shoes are causing them pain and we don't want that."

Jasper and Peter spent their time bringing the horses in and cleaning their feet quiet. They didn't talk during task like this at least not when they had bigger things on their minds. Peter had charlotte and his twins on his mind and Jasper had Bella and the ranch on his mind with Bella being número uno in his mind.

"That's the last of 'em." Peter said locking the last horse into a stall.

"Please make sure the stalls are locked up nice and tight." Jasper said. "And I'll lock up the office."

Peter did as Jasper asked and started walking down the hall of stalls and shook each of the doors making sure they were tight. The last few at the end of the barn were a little lose but it would still take a while for someone to break into it. He had finished the last one when he spotted something that didn't belong in a barn and looked familiar. He picked it up and went to find Jasper.

"Hey pe—"

"Look." Peter said. "It's like the one Bella found."

'crush it' Jasper mouthed.

Peter didn't listen to Jasper. He took the 'bug' and dunked it into a bucket of water hanging in the nearest stall for the horse.

"Why did you do that?" Jasper asked.

"It's an electronic so water would be its enemy and also we need it whole so we can look up the serial number." Peter replied. "Crushing it would have likely crushed it so bad that we wouldn't have been able to read the serial number."

"Do it in the morning Charlotte is likely to kill you if you don't get going soon." Jasper said.

"Like Bella wouldn't be the same with you." Peter replied.

The brothers continued to jostle each other like that until they reached the porch. Charlotte and the twins were waiting for Peter who took Allen out of her arms allowing Charlotte to pick Ellen up off the porch.

"I'll be up tomorrow to help you out." Peter said turning to Jasper.

"You know where we are working tomorrow don't you?"

"East side behind where the creak runs." Peter said.

"Bingo."

Jasper waved good bye and walked inside.

"Charlotte and Peter get away just fine?" Carolynn asked.

"Yes. They did just fine and I thought you would be in bed by now."

"I wanted to see the guest David Letterman had on his show."

"The author of that book series you like right?"

"Yes but I do believe I should get to bed now. You should to."

"I know ma I was headed that way when I spotted you in here." Jasper said heading up the stairs.

His mother followed him a few minutes later but Jasper hadn't seen her because he was already in his room. He had heard the floor creak when she passed by his room. After he knew she was in her room and locked in for the night Jasper walked from his room to Bella's she was already sleep so he couldn't say anything to her.

He knew she must have been a sleep talker because he heard her say his name a few times. He smiled and left the room. He decide to look up the listening device peter had found in the barn. He could already tell it wasn't one he and Peter had installed before their uncle died because it didn't have the red w painted on it. He took the bug out of his shirt pocket and placed it on his desk. He then dug through the draws of the desk looking for the magnifying glass that he's had since high school. He found it at the bottom of the last drawer.

He ran the magnifying glass over the bug and couldn't find anything. He decided to use the knife he always kept with him to pry the casing open. He found the number on the inside of one of the plastic pieces. He quickly wrote down the number before putting the pieces of the listening device in compartment of his desk so he wouldn't lose them.

He then pulled his laptop closer and logged on. He waited for it to fully come on. He clicked on the only internet icon he had and went looking for the type of listening device it was. He looked at the pieces again and found that the name was on the outside of the pieces.

He typed that into the search engine and clicked on the link to the company's website. Jasper wanted to do a happy dance when he saw that they had a way to see what state, town and store the device was bought in all he had to do was enter the number. He took his time entering the number so he would get the right one.

He wanted to cheer again when he saw that the one Peter had found was bought at a gadget shop in town. He could go there with Peter tomorrow before they checked out the cabin.

He took the note pad with the listening device's serial number on it and the store where it was bought and the device it's self and locked it up in his safe along with the file that Bella had given him so it couldn't be taken from him and he wasn't likely to give their locations up if even if he was tortured to death.

After locking everything away Jasper went to take a quick shower before he changed into his clean pajamas. He heard the floor boards near his room creak from the strain of someone walking on them. It could have been Parker coming back late. So Jasper put his ear to the door and listened. The steps seemed to light to be a man's even one the size of Parker. He opened his door to see Bella walking back into her room.

"Bella are you all right?" Jasper asked.

"I'm fine I just can't seem to get to sleep." Bella told him.

"Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor about this."

"Jasper I… I haven't slept the same since the night we were together." Bella said her blood rushing to her cheeks. "You left the next morning and I… my sleeping pattern haven't been the same since then."

There was a pause.

"You aren't going to laugh at me?" Bella asked.

"I couldn't laugh at you." Jasper said. "Because I… I would be in that same boat."

Jasper leaned down and kissed her.


	38. Take it Outside Brantley Gilbert Pt1

_**Take it OutsidePT1 –Brantley Gilbert**_

The next morning Jasper rode out to the small cabin the Whitlock's had on their ranch. It had only three rooms. It had the kitchen, bedroom and living room. It was built when all people used were out houses to go the bathroom and creaks to bathed and wash clothes.

He walked up to the porch. It was starting to fall apart; but it was over a hundred years old so it was still good that it was only starting to fall apart. He forced the door open and made his way inside. Peter should be there soon but he wanted to check it out before they got to work. He could tell someone had been in here recently. There was trash that didn't fit anything that would have been made back in the seventies. The stove in the kitchen had been used recently because there were ashes in the fire pit of the stove. The bedroom didn't look like anyone had been in it unless it was to hide from what he [Jasper] guessed.

Making a mental note of where to put the cameras and listening devices when peter came to help him. He got back on his horse and headed for the barn. Peter was there talking to Paul. Jasper slipped off his horse so he could join in.

"So what are you two talking about?" he asked.

"Peter here was just telling me about your plans to _update _your security here." Paul said. "I told him I would help if you guys want it."

"That's great we'll talk about it later right now we have an old cabin we are fixing up."

"I could help." Paul said.

"Grab a horse and come on." Jasper told him.

Paul pulled a black mare from one of the stalls; he saddled the horse and hopped on and followed Jasper and Peter –who were already on their horses—out to the old cabin. All three men tide their horses' reins to three nearby trees and made sure they had water to drink.

"How old is this place?" Paul asked.

"A little over hundred years old," Jasper said. "Our great great grandfather built this place for him and his wife to stay after his own child hood home burned down and his little brother disappeared in the war."

"And they never found the brother?" Paul said.

"Nope but common belief among those in our family are that if his body was to be found it would be somewhere near Galveston because that's where his last letter came from."

Paul couldn't reply to that but he had helped Jasper and Peter with the porch replacing all the rotting floor boards. It didn't take him long. He did that while Peter cleaned out the cabin of the trash left behind by the squatter who had made the cabin their home.

"Finally all the crap is out of there." Peter said throwing the last of the trash on the fire he had built to keep them warm from the cool air surrounding them.

"From that amount of trash I would have to assume that more than one person had be staying here at one point I just don't know why." Jasper said.

"Well the porch is done is there anything that needs to be done on the inside?" Paul asked.

"Surprisingly none of the wood needs to be replaced but if we wanted to update the cabin plumbing would be a good idea." Peter told him.

"What about the electrical?" Paul asked.

"We wouldn't use it enough to have electrical to put in it." Jasper said. "We would use it as a hunting cabin or other things."

"No need to classify what you mean by other things." Paul told them.

"Yeah we wouldn't want to defile your virgin ears."

"Me nor my ears are virgins." Paul snapped.

"Whatever you say." Peter replied.

It was after that that the brothers and Paul went to work on the cabin putting the cameras in and calling back to Bella to make sure they were coming up on the computer. It took three hours to do the work and make sure that they blended in with the cabin which is why the save the old –usable—wood from the front porch to hide them a little better but still have them a good view of the rooms they were in.

"That was the last one." Jasper said throwing the last of the usable wood into the fire.

Since it was past noon and none of the three men had eaten since the morning. They sat around eating the sandwiches' that Charlotte made Peter bring out with them. Jasper got up from the dusty ground and dusted off his jeans.

"Well someone needs to piss on that fire so we can go." Jasper replied going over to his horse.

Paul just too the rest of the water from his canteen and dumped it on the fire.

"See no need to get pissy." Paul said going over to his own horse.

"There is also no need to be a smart ass." Jasper said smacking him on the back of the head.

All three boys hopped onto their horses after putting their equipment back into the saddle bags they carried them in and headed for the barn and home.

"I'll put the horses up." Paul said slipping out of the saddle. "You can go on inside."

"We still have to talk to you about some things so when you are done come inside." Jasper said handing him the reins of his horse.

"I'll take the saddle bags. They have to be locked in the safe." Peter said messing with his horse.

Paul and Jasper handed their saddle bags over Peter who went to go put them in the safe located in the barn office. While Paul took the saddles and blankets off and put them in the tack room of the barn. It didn't take long to do it. After he was done with the saddles' Paul put the horses in their stalls and closed the gates making sure they couldn't get away. He found Jasper and Peter in the den in the main house.

"So what did you two want to talk about?" Paul asked them while sitting down.

"Well for our plan we need a worker that we trust to pretend to start have a rough relationship with us we say your coming in late or not doing your job, you go to a bar where the Volturi brothers hang out and complain loudly about how you want to get back at us for telling you that if you don't shape up you will get fired."

"Interesting and good idea and you came up with it?" Paul asked.

"No. His girlfriend did." Peter said.

"Shut up peter." Jasper snapped. "So will you do it?"

"Sure." Paul said. "When do I start?"

"We'll I guess any day now because we have to be seen having arguments with you so we should stage one at the bar and the maybe one in the barn after the one in the bar you can go back to it on another night maybe a week later complaining about how we are 'riding' your ass about getting to work on time." Jasper explained to him.

"So I guess I should stomp out of here pissed off now?" Paul asked.

"Bingo." Jasper replied with a smirk. "You can have tomorrow off." Jasper said in a whisper.

"You better be here on time." Peter yelled.

This had caused Paul to smirk while getting up from his seat. When he reached the door he turned his face into a scowl and opened the door and stomped out of the den. Jasper and Peter looked at each other and shrugged.

"So how did it go?" Bella asked them. "I saw Paul and he didn't look happy but that could have been part of the plan." She added the last part in a whisper.

"Everything is okay." Jasper said. "We'll talk to him again when he calms down. It shouldn't be too long." He added pulling Bella to sit in his lap.

"I am going to go find Charlotte before you two love birds make me puke up my meager lunch."

"Meager my ass you ate six of the twelve sandwiches and there were three of us." Jasper said chucking a paper ball at the back of Peter's head.

"Peter seriously you ate one sandwich from Jasper and Paul each." Bella said. "You know we could tell Charlotte and she might just withhold you."

"You do and I'll tell Ma about the two of you."

"Peter she locked us in a room together to get us to admit our feelings and she knows that Jasper was no virgin." Bella said. "So it wouldn't surprise me if she already knew about Jasper and I and I know she has caught you and Charlotte doing just as much when you were in school."


	39. Take it Outside Brantley Gilbert Pt2

_**Take it OutsidePT2 –Brantley Gilbert**_

It had been a week since the boys set their plan in motion. They let the local police know that they had set up a security operation on their land because of their loss of cattle. Today was the day Paul was to set up a meeting with the Volturi brothers to get back at Jasper and Peter –even though they have never done anything to the Volturi brothers and just simply existed in the same world.

Bella had gone to town to get something she was running low on. It wouldn't take long because she wanted to be there for Peter and Jasper when they watched Paul's meeting with the Volturi brothers in the old abandon cabin they had 'wired' with camera's a microphones the week before.

Bella had gotten to the checkout lane with no problems. Her cell phone had started to go off. She quickly paid for her things and answered her phone once she got outside.

"Bella are you there?" the voiced asked.

"Yes this is she now who is this?" Bella replied.

"It's Billy Black."

"Why are you calling me Billy?" she asked.

"Bella, Charlie's in the hospital." Billy told her.

"What do you mean he's in the hospital I just talked to him this morning he was fine?" Bella ranted.

"He got shot at work." Billy said.

"How?"

"From what they told me he got caught in the cross fire while saving a little girl." Billy told her.

"How is he?" Bella asked.

"Right now he's in critical condition but the doc says they are extremely hopeful that he would make a full recovery even if he doesn't work again." Billy said. "I call because I thought that you would want to be here for him."

"I finished my finals a week ago so I can come now." Bella said. "What hospital is he at?"

"Harborview Medical Center," Billy replied.

"I'll call you later with my flight information."Bella told him.

"I'll look forward to it Bella and I'm sorry I had to see you again like this." Billy replied to her.

"It's alright." Bella said before hanging up.

She had driven the whole way back to the ranch fighting back tears. She finally let them fall when she parked the truck in front of the house. She rushed to her room and started to pack her bag.

"Bella what's wrong?" Jasper asked.

"My dad's in the hospital." Bella said through her sobs. "I have to go see him. I have to leave now."

"I'll book your ticket." Jasper said.

Bella just gave a nod and continued to pack her bag. When she was done she just sat down on her bed. Jasper came in a few minutes later saying that he got her a ticket that left in two hours. He took her suitcase down to the truck and then came back and told her it was time to leave for the airport.

They made it to the gate just in time for Bella to board the plane. Jasper kissed her good bye on the fore head and stayed at the window watching her plane leave until the plane was out of sight and then reluctantly left the airport.

He drove home on the long highway that felt lonelier than ever before. He just hoped that she would come back that she would even want to come back now that her father had been put in the hospital for some reason.

When he got back home he parked the truck and walked back inside and up the stairs. He closed Bella's door and went into his room and climbed into bed without changing his clothes.

The next morning he went through the motions well enough that his family didn't know anything was wrong with him. He was waiting on Peter to get back with Paul so they could prepare him for the meeting with the Volturi brothers later on.

"What in the hell makes you think that Jasper and I want you to go alone?" Peter asked.

"You guys want to know what those brothers what and they want me to meet their father otherwise the meeting won't happen for like two weeks." Paul countered.

"What did you two do? And Paul you should be gone by now." Jasper said when he caught sight of them.

"I would be but Peter didn't want me to leave on my own." Paul said. "But if you agree I can call Aro and let him know that I can meet with you because you sent me home 'early'."

"Let him go." Jasper said turning to Peter. "Hide a knife in your boot."

"I always do." Paul replied.

"Call them and let them know you'll be meeting their father." Jasper told him.

"Okay." Paul replied. He left the room and made the call. He walked back into the room. "I'll meet them at the cabin in twenty minutes."

"Well all the microphones and cameras are in working order." Jasper said pointing to the computer screen. "And slyly try and get them to admit that they are the one's taking the cattle from the ranchers in the area and really most of all even thought we'll be watching don't get yourself killed."

"I had not planned on it." Paul said leaving the room.

"You ride behind him Peter but keep out of sight of the others."

"Oh I will and the other five are already planted around the cabin." Peter said.

"I'll be out after a while I want to make sure the camera's are recording. Not to mention I'll bring it with me." Jasper told him.

"Be careful when you do come out I don't know where the boys are." Peter said. "I better get going if I don't want to lose Paul on his way to the cabin."

"Be safe and keep your gun on you."

"Jasper I will have three guns with me the most if not the whole time and I always have two on me."

"Where's your second one?"

Peter pulled up his jeans on his left leg and showed Jasper the gun holstered in his boot. He quickly pushed the leg back down.

"Can I go now?" he asked.

Jasper just nodded and turned his attention back to his computer. He could see one of the other ranchers in the shrub in front of the cabin but the rancher was the only one he could see. Ten minutes later he saw Paul ride in on a horse. He knew Peter wouldn't be far behind him but knew better to keep out of sight.

He watched for an hour longer and decided it was time for him to get close to the cabin. He shut down his computer for now making sure it was on mute so no sounds would alert them to his arrival when he turned it back on.

Upon arriving at the cabin Jasper hid his horse in a clearing ten feet away where he could still see her and nestled himself into a clump of bushes nearby. He turns on his computer to see the camera's inside. So far Paul was just sitting in an old chair waiting on the Volturi brothers.

Jasper perked up when he heard the noise of a motor going, he would bet that it was the Volturi brothers and their father arriving. They got out of the little motor vehicle they had and walked inside the cabin. Only one of the people that had been in the small vehicle had stayed outside. Jasper recognized the person as his 'cousin' parker. The four Volturi family members including senior turned their noses up at the disheveled looking cabin.

"Sorry I don't have better accommodations for you." Paul told him. "The Whitlock's have been riding me lately."

"And you think you can help get us what we want from them."

"Of course I can." Paul said. "I just need to know what you are looking for."

"Like I can trust you." Senior said.

"You can because I need the money. They docked my pay for a whole month because a few cattle got stolen on my watch." Paul snapped.

_Don't lose your cool now._ Jasper thought.

"What would you be willing to do?" Senior asked.

"Anything but kill or seriously injure them" Paul told Volturi senior.

"I would leave that to my sons." Senior said.

"Now what do you want me to do?" Paul asked.

"I want you to get them to sign over their ranch to me."

"And you want it because?" Paul asked.

"Because it should be mine; their grandfather was supposed to sell it to me but he died before the dam deal could go through. Not to mention his idiot son started snooping around." Senior said. "Now you can leave and go and do the job I want you to do."

Paul got up to leave but turned back around. "Can I ask you one more question?"

"Sure but only because you have been so courteous."

"Where you behind the missing cattle?" Paul asked.

"Of course I was." Senior said. "I had to get try and get them to sell to me in a legal way first even if the act that led to it wasn't legal."

"I'll go do my job now or prepare for it at least."

"No you can stay. My sons and I have other duties to attend to." Senior said standing up. "Come along boys."

The group of men exited the cabin.

"On your knees Volturi." One of the rancher said. "Now."

"All of you on your knees now." Another rancher said.

The four men's eyes were bugging out. The five ranchers came forward and started binding their hands with plastic zip ties. Well only two tied them up while other three held their guns.

"FBI put your guns down." Another voice hollered.

Jasper looked around to see FBI swarming the little cabin, him and the five ranchers.

"You too sir." A young male FBI agent said.

"I own this ranch –well I don't own it but my Mama does, but I set up this meeting with my brother and our ranch had Paul because we knew those four were behind our missing cattle but we didn't' have proof. The other five men you are rounding up are other rancher's who had cattle missing that wanted to help." Jasper explained. "You can have all the video I've recorded; I was going to give it to you any way."

"I don't care sir you need to put that computer down and get up." The agent said.

"My ID is in my back pocket if you don't believe me." Jasper told the agent.

"All right Alec what do you have?" a female agent said.

"I have this guy claiming to be Jasper Whitlock sitting in these bushes like a peeping tom with a computer."

"Alec that's because he is Jasper, I recognize him from the restaurant when I planted that bug." The female agent said. "Check his ID if you don't believe me."

"Where is your ID?" Alec asked.

"It's in my back right pocket." Jasper replied.

Alec grabbed the wallet and looked at the ID Jasper had in it.

"Alright you can go but your computer stays." Alec says dismissing him.

Jasper went and checked on his horse. It was okay even with all the yelling going on ten feet away. After make sure the horse was all right Jasper went looking for Peter and Paul. He found the two men standing underneath a Tree looking at the Volturi brothers and the father getting arrested.

"Are you two all right?" Jasper asked.

"Just dandy." Peter replied. "How 'bout you Paul?"

"Just dandy." Paul replied to them.

The three men had continued to joke until the female agent walked over to them.

"Do you need something?" Jasper replied.

"Not at the moment. You three can go but be prepared for questioning later and you might even have to testify in their trial."

"Thanks Agent—" Jasper said.

"Jane." The woman replied. "And that is my partner Alec over there."

"Jane look at this." Alec said tossing something over to her.

"We'll have the lab check it out." Jane said. "I am so glad we don't have to talk like were criminals anymore."

Jane walked away and Jasper, Peter and Paul got on their horses and headed for the barn. The horses needed to be put up and they needed to eat.

"That would explain the bug from the restaurant." Jasper said.


	40. Chain of Love Clay walker

_**Chain of love- Clay Walker**_

Bella took her seat on the plane and was thankful that no one had been seated near her and that she had been located at the back of the plane with how sick she has been lately. She had also hidden the sickness from Jasper because of how Jasper was about her not getting any sleep. She also knew what the lack of sleep and throwing up anything she ate might mean but she didn't want to worry about that right now not with Charlie in the hospital.

As soon as the plane was in the air Bella snuggled deeper into her seat and drifted off to sleep only to be awakened by the heaving of her stomach an hour later. She rushed toward the bathroom and thanked God that it was open. She locked it before hurling her breakfast that morning into the toilet.

She paused her moving after she had finished. There was a knock at the door.

"Ma'am; are you all right in there?" a stewardess asked.

"I'm fine just worried about the plane flight." Bella said cleaning up her mouth.

She unlocked the door and stepped out. The flight attendant looked at her weirdly as she stepped out of the bathroom.

"Are you sure you are alright?"

"I'm fine. Dad is in the hospital." Bella told the woman. "I'm guess I'm worried about him on top of it I don't really like planes but they don't know if he's going to make it."

"We have saltines up with our set up I'll get you some of those and some water that might help settle your stomach." The flight attendant said leading Bella to her seat.

"You don't have to." Bella told her sitting down.

It didn't take Bella long to fall asleep again. She slept for there more hours and woke up to find the saltines and water on the tray in front of her. There was also a note; Bella picked up the note and read it:

_To whomever you are,_

_I was in the same position as you about twenty years ago. I didn't know what to do so I ran. I met someone and they took me in. We've been married nineteen years as of last month. I hope you find someone for you like I did and NEVER let the chain of love end with you._

_Marcy._

Bella folded the note and tucked it into a pocket on her carryon bag so she wouldn't lose it. She took out a pen and a piece of paper and wrote one back to Marcy before she had to leave the plane. By the time she finished writing the note, eating the saltines and drinking the water the plane was ready to land.

She buckled herself in like one of the stewardess said to and waited for the plane to land so she could get off of it and hurry to the hospital to see Charlie who Billy said had been rushed to Seattle because the Forks hospital didn't have the ability to care for him.

She handed the note she wrote to Marcy and got off the off the plane and found the baggage area and grabbed her suit case. She then made what felt like a mile long trek to the line of cabs waiting outside the airport. She grabbed one of the closet cabs and told them to get her to Harborview Medical Center and fast.

When the cab came to an abrupt stop Bella flew hard against her seat belt.

"Are you okay ma'am. The rain makes it a little hard to drive." The man said.

"I'm fine. Here is your payment." Bella said handing over her cash after removing the seat belt.

She through her door open grabbed her carry on and her suitcase and headed for the doors of the hospital. After finding the right door –which had taken Bella a full ten minutes to do—it had taken her several more minutes to find a nurse –let alone a doctor—that would tell her what floor her father would be on. Said nurse didn't even know what his room number was. This was all topped off with the strange looks she was getting for carting around a suitcase –which wasn't even that big.

After she told the rather snotty nurse thank you Bella hunted down the elevators. She found not far from where she had entered the hospital at. She hit the number of the floor the nurse had told her and leaned back against the elevator. It didn't surprise her that Charlie would be located on the floor dedicated to the Intensive Care Unit.

She took a deep breath when the elevator came to a stop and stepped out on to the floor. There were nurses at the nurses' station and a few moving from room to room checking on the patients in the room.

"Excuse me Ma'am you can't have that suitcase in here." A nurse told her.

"I'm here to see my father; Charlie Swan. I came straight from the airport so I didn't have time to drop it off at a hotel."

"He's in room five oh four." The nurse said scattering off to see about another patient.

Bella turned to go down a hallway to see if it was the hallway that had Charlie's room.

"Bella," Someone called when she got halfway down the hallway.

Bella flipped around to see Billy in his chair rolling toward her and walked right over to him.

"You are early." Billy said.

"Flight got in a little earlier than expected." Bella said. "Where is Charlie's room at?"

"I'll take you to him just follow me." Billy said turning back the way he came.

Bella followed him, dragging her suitcase along behind her. Charlie's room was the third door on the right from the end of the hallway.

"You can go first since I already saw him." Billy said. "I'll watch your suitcase."

Bella left her suit case with Billy and walked into her father's open hospital room door. She held her breath as she took him in. He was paler than normal –probably from the loss of blood she thought—and had bandages across his chest peeking out from under the blankets that covered him along with a smaller one on his arm.

Bella sat down in the chair beside his bed and took his hand in hers and prayed to God that he would make it. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep with her head on Charlie's bed. She stayed like that for hours.

She only woke up when she felt a hand on her head. She looked up after rubbing her eyes to see Charlie awake. Bella pulled away.

"What are you doing here Bells?" Charlie asked Bella.

"I had to come and I hop a flight as soon as I could get on one after Billy called me." Bella said. "Speaking of Billy I left my—"

"It is by the door. He pushed it in here after Jake called him." Charlie said.

"Mr. Swan you are awake. I hadn't expected you to be up this soon after surgery." The doctor said.

"I'm just here to take your vitals." The doctor said.

Bella got up and moved over to her suitcase so the doctor could check her dad over. She bit her finger nails nervously as the doctor systematically checked her father over from his blood pressure and heart rate to his brain activity. A nurse came into help pulling a cart with blood samples on it. Bella started to feel woozy at the sight of all the tubes of blood. She was perfectly fine through the whole thing and would still be fine if the doctor hadn't needed to draw blood.

Starting to feel sick Bella ran for the door that led to the bathroom in Charlie's hospital room. She didn't make it. She passed out on the tile floor of the bathroom. The nurse who wasn't actually sticking Charlie with the needle rushed right over to see what was wrong with her.

"Her blood pursuer is a little low and she looks like she needed to put on a few more pounds." The nurse said. "Get a stretcher in here we have to move her."

The doctor paged the nurses' station about the stretcher. Five minutes later orderlies were running into the room with the requested stretcher. They under the supervision of the nurse gently put Bella on it.

"Go help my daughter." Charlie said.

"I'm not her doctor and I here to take care of you. Nurse Short will take care of her and let me know which of my colleges caught her case and I'll let you know." The doctor told him.

Charlie didn't know what to say seeing his daughter so helpless on the stretcher. He had never been in a position where he couldn't help her –it was a first—and he didn't like it.

* * *

To my Readers,

I am posting now because for the rest of the day (Feb 26th 2012) I will not be on my computer and will be focusing on the novel I am trying to write. I hope you liked this chapter and can only politely ask that if you read it please leave a review.

Wild Ponies readers please help me get to 100 reviews before the end of the story.

Search for a Criminal Minds readers, I will be taking a break from CM (so I can catch up on episodes) and make the sequel as accurate as I can. After I finishing posting all pre written chapters.

De l'immortel de mortels readers I will be taking a break after I finish posting the pre written chapters to figure out where I am going to take this story.

Love Maye


	41. What it ain't Josh Turner

_**What it Ain't –Josh Turner**_

Jasper hadn't seen Bella in two weeks. She had called a week ago saying she was going to stay with her dad until he could take care of himself again. He missed her a lot and couldn't wait to see her; but he didn't know when she would be coming back and because of that he threw himself into his work and help Alec and Jane put together their case.

It was only because all four Volturi men wanted a speedy trial that everything was going so fast. He, Peter and Paul would be testifying in the trial on behalf of the prosecution and the FBI but that wasn't for another two weeks.

"Jasper come on we are going out tonight." Peter said.

"There is no way in hell that I am going out to a bar with you. I nearly got killed the last time we went out."

"You did not get killed and it was only Maria that was after you." Peter said.

"And she nearly killed me by setting her sights on me that night and I don't want to deal with that right now. Besides I have Bella." Jasper replied.

"I wasn't even going to take you to that place again. We're going to the sports bar to watch the game." Peter said. "The rangers are a shoe in to win."

"The game doesn't start till seven and it's only three." Jasper said. "So I will think about going with you."

Four hours later Jasper was sitting in Stu's sports bar and grill. He sat at the back of the booth he and his brother occupied absentmindedly playing with the bowls of chips and salsa; not even bothering to pay attention to the game playing on the flat screens scattered around the place.

Peter hadn't noticed and was busy talking with an old buddy from high school that just returned from his six tours in Afghanistan; a few more than Jasper has done but Jasper hadn't been called up again in the past year so his unit could be called up again in the next few years. It was the biggest thing next to the Volturi family that scared him when it came to Bella because one or the other could cause him to lose Bella or Bella to lose him and he didn't want that to happen.

Jasper was brought out of his daze by Peter throwing a napkin at him.

"Dude pay attention Jane's calling your name for the past five minutes." Peter said.

Jasper turned toward Jane and asked. "What do you need?"

"I had to tell you guys that your testimony would be happening next week instead of the week after." Jane said. "The defense team claims that Volturi senior is sick and only has six months to live there for needs an even faster trial."

"Six months weather we start next week or the week after won't extend his life any longer."

"I know but I had to tell you."

A week later Jasper was in Dallas along with peter waiting to be called into testify in the Volturi family trial. They of course had been separated so they couldn't get their stories straight. They even had to stay at two different hotels and couldn't have cell phones on their persons and they couldn't use the in room phones; they even had their food ordered while they waited to be called.

Jasper looked up when he heard the creaking of an old court room door be opened.

"Jasper Whitlock," the officer called.

Jasper stood up and walked over to the door. The officer stepped aside and let Jasper through. He walked up the aisle and up to the witness stand where he took his seat. He took the oath with his hand placed on the bible.

"Please state your full name for the jury." The prosecutor said from behind their table.

"Jasper Otto Whitlock,"

"How do you know the defendants?"

"I don't know them personally other than having a few run ins with them." Jasper replied.

"And how many times is that?"

"Objection what does how many times the witness and my client come in contact with one another have anything to do with the case at hand?"

"It goes to show the defendants have a pattern of intimidation." The prosecutor said without missing a beat.

"Overruled, you may answer the question Mr. Whitlock."

"So Mr. Whitlock how many times have you met the defendants."

"Three in all, when I was directly involved." Jasper said.

"And those were?"

"A party, and twice at my place of residence."

"The second time being when they were arrested."

"And indirectly would make it?"

"Only two were in direct."

"I saw them on my ranch from a distance." Jasper said.

"Distance of how far?"

"I would have to say a hundred and fifty feet."

"Do you use contacts to see that far?"

"No I didn't because I don't need them."

"Could you tell what they were doing?"

"They were looking at something but I was too far away to see what it was."

"Both times?" the prosecutor asked.

"Yes." Jasper replied.

"What about the party what happen then?"

"I went there with a friend and we separated for a bit as I went to talk to the friend that was there when I went back to the friend I arrived with and found Aro talking with her. I only heard him say that I should sell the ranch but that was it. I don't know if he said anything else to her or not."

"And the direct contact that happened at your home?" the prosecutor asked.

"That incident took place late at night at I had taken a walk by a pond on our property to clear my head. I got hit from behind and fell down. Whoever attacked me must have thought I was down for the count because after I got up and starting fighting back I got shot. You have my medical records for evidence."

"Yes we do along with your statement to police." The prosecutor said.

The prosecutor stepped back from Jasper and went to sit. The defenses attorney stood up and started for the witness stand to question Jasper.

"Mr. Whitlock you said you have had only five interactions with my clients. Why not more than five?" He asked.

"I'm not a people person so I don't go out much." Jasper replied.

"Do you have anything against my clients?"

"No I never heard from them until after I heard the whispers around town about them but it was nothing hateful."

"What do you mean it wasn't hateful?"

"I only heard things like how they were going to donate brand new computers to the high school after it was renovated and donating three or four new cars to the police and various things like that."

"If you hold no ill will toward them then why did you wire a cabin on your property with cameras?" the defense asked.

"Because I had gone out there a day or so before and found that someone still unknown to me had been staying there."

The questioning from the defense team continued on for more than an hour. The defense had tried to discredit Jasper by saying that he invited the Volturi family to his ranch that day when in reality he had not. Jasper was finally let off the stand after one of the brothers called him a back woods white trash red neck who didn't know a shoe string from a tire iron. After that comment the prosecution called another witness and jasper was allowed to leave.

He walked out of the court room and down the hallway to the bank of elevators. He passed Peter who still had yet to testify. They couldn't talk as requested by the prosecution –so the Volturi family couldn't say the cooked up the schema to take the family down; which they had already tried to do when Jasper was on the stand.

Now that the trial was over there was only one thing on Jasper's mind as he went down to the first floor and she had been on his mind since she left two weeks ago. _**Bella**_ the one and only girl that his mother had approved of; sure she liked others but none that were as good for her baby boy as she thought that Bella was.

The elevator stopped several times on the way down to let more people on or off. Each ding of the bell ticked Jasper off a little more than the time before because he hadn't seen Bella in two weeks and each passing day without seeing her only made it worse.

Once he was out of the court house Jasper took a cab to his hotel. Upon arriving he climbed the two flights of stairs to his room on the second floor. He opened the door and headed straight for the bed where he passed out.

**One very long month later…**

Jasper was worried he hadn't heard from Bella in two weeks. The trial had gone on longer than he thought it would with the defense pulling out every tactic they could to delay the verdict being read but the judge saw through this and threw out their motions unless they actually had merit.

The verdict should have come in about an hour ago but no one had come to tell him what the verdict was. So to keep himself busy he had taken a ride on his horse. He rode out to the cave where he first kissed Bella. It too looked like it had been lived in with trash scattered about the rocky dirt floor.

Since the Volturi family had been kept in custody he knew it wasn't them but there were recites among the trash so he knew the person wasn't stealing; they were just homeless or had run away from home. Jasper picked up the trash and put it into the blackened circle he assumed to be the fire pit and sat at the mouth of the cave when he was done.

He sat for hours thinking or as Peter had been calling it a pity party. But Jasper didn't pity himself. He was missing Bella and missing her bad. He was worse than Peter when he had to leave for basic training or when he was deployed.

After an hour Jasper got back on his horse and headed for home. It was close to dinner time and he had no use worrying his mother when he didn't show up for dinner on time. He took his time undoing the saddle, putting it away in the tact room and brushing the horse before leading the horse into the stall designated for them. He locked the stall nice and tight and headed for the house.

He got to the porch and looked up to see Agent Jane sitting there. She stood up when she spotted him and started walking forward.

"What are you doing here?" Jasper asked.

"I came to let you and Peter knows what the verdict is." Jane said.

"And," Jasper said.

"Guilty on all counts, sentencing is next month." Jane said. "I also wanted to thank you both for testifying. Our other smoking gun witnesses were too scared to testify."

"It was my duty to testify." Jasper said. "There was no way could not testify it would go against who I am."

"I get that but you Peter and Paul were a big part of our case." Jane said. "And once again thank you."

She added giving him a kiss that should have been on the cheek but ended up on the lips when Jasper turned his head toward her to say something.

"Sorry." Jane said.

They both heard the sounds of a car tires crunching on the gravel driveway.

"It must have been a wrong turn." Jasper said.

"Jane we caught another case." Alec said coming out of the house.

"See ya'll," Jasper told them.


	42. One Day You Will Lady A

_**One Day You Will –Lady Antebellum**_

_**You feel like you're falling backwards  
Like you're slipping through the cracks  
Like no one would even notice  
If you left this town and never came back  
You walk outside and all you see is rain  
You look inside and all you feel is pain  
And you can't see it now  
But down the road the sun is shining  
In every cloud there's a silver lining  
Just keep holding on (just keep holding on)  
And every heartache makes you stronger  
But it won't be much longer  
You'll find love, you'll find peace  
And the you you're meant to be  
I know right now that's not the way you feel  
But one day you will**_

Bella had felt bad that she had left Jasper. It was the little one in her stomach that had her running. She didn't want people thinking that she was trying to trap him and she was only three months along. She was finally going back to Texas and to Jasper.

He would know about the moment he touch her stomach. It had gotten stiffer as the baby grew. The baby was still rather small. From the site she found on line she discovered the baby would be about the size of a lime or two inches long.

Rubbing her stomach one last time Bella got up and headed for the gate where she would get onto her plane. She was once again by the bathroom and thankful for it because she wouldn't have far to run if she had to get sick. She was seated by an older woman; some were between the age of Jasper's mom and her grandma. She tucked her carry on under her seat before she buckled herself in.

An hour into the flight the woman turned toward Bella.

"Are you all right dear?" the woman asked.

"Fine I'm just nervous about seeing a friend for the first time in a while."

"He would be an idiot not to want the baby."

"I… How did you know?"

"I was the same way fifty years ago when my husband came back from war. I was afraid because he had gotten hurt that he wouldn't want the baby but I was wrong he did want the baby and the baby is what made him work harder to get healthy. So he could play catch with his son and dance with his daughter whatever one we had."

"I have no doubt that he'll love our baby but I don't think he'll love me anymore because I kept it from him." Bella said looking down.

"You won't know until you tell him and he might hate it even more if you keep it from him." The woman said.

Bella told the woman thank you and listened to stories of her only child –the one she was pregnant with when her husband came home from war— growing up and the three grandchildren he and his wife have given her so far until the plane had landed.

She waited until most people had picked up their bags before she went and grabbed her own. She took her time and made her way out to the small line of cabs outside the airport. She gave the man the address to the Whitlock ranch.

It took him an hour because of traffic to get to the ranch. He pulled the car up the long winding road. When they got to the end she saw Jasper kissing a blond girl. Figuring that he had moved on she quickly tells the cabbie to take her into the INN in town.

The one thing she hoped wouldn't happen did and it broke her heart in more than one piece. Jasper had moved on to someone else. She paid the cabbie when he stopped at the INN and grabbed her bags and quickly got out of the car and headed inside.

She quickly booked a room so she could get some sleep. She couldn't get to sleep no matter how hard she tried the sleep she longed for evaded her like a bank robber from a police officer.

Two days later Bella had set off for Dallas. She would still be in Texas and close enough to Jasper that if she ever got the courage up again that she could tell him and be back home in few minutes or an hour depending on the traffic. After writing out her plan Bella caught a cab to Dallas she bought a newspaper when she got there so she could look for apartments.

The first three that she saw were nothing more than a glorified roach motel or crack den; why the realtor she contacted showed her these places in the first place she'll never know because she dropped them and found another less snooty one to take her to a family friendly part of Dallas. It took her a few more walk through before she finally found the one she knew was for her.

It was a small two bed room apartment with an open floor plan. The walls were all white only because she couldn't paint them but she had plenty of art work and pictures that she could hang up on the walls.

A week after settling into her apartment Bella decided to get a job and ended up getting two since her classes were all on line and allowed her to login at any time. She only needed the one job but had taken two so she would have enough money to pay the bills but also buy what she need for the little one growing inside her. She wanted nothing but the best for her little one.

"Bella Swan your order is up." A clerk yelled across a crowd restaurant.

Bella would not normally come to a place like this because it looked so creepy but it was the only place that had the barbeque that cured her cravings.

It was August already and Bella still couldn't believe that she was already four months along. It was just yesterday that she realized that she had a slight bump and she only noticed this because a pair of her favorite jeans didn't fit her anymore.

The only thing besides her cravings for barbeque, her bump and the nausea, the only other symptom Bella had was her emotional roller coaster which she didn't recognize until she started crying over the jeans that didn't fit her any more.

When Bella got back to the small compact four door Ford she drove around she took out the baby diary as she called it and wrote down two more paragraphs on the page marked with the date August 2nd 2006*

*This is the day my granddad died. It was also my sisters birthday.


	43. The Longer the Waiting Josh Turner Pt1

_**The Longer the Waiting –Josh Turner**_

_**Oh, the longer the waiting, the sweeter the kiss  
It's better my darling, I promise you this  
the next time I hold you, I'm not letting go  
I will give up the ocean forever, I know  
Forever, I know**_

Bella was overworked and tired. She knew that she was able to get time off but she couldn't stand being in the apartment when she knew Jasper would never call the place home. She was roused out of her thoughts of Jasper by her coworker.

"Could you get table three for me?" the girl asked.

"Of course Jean." Bella replied.

Bella took the tables orders –while dealing with their sexist comments—and was glad to see them leave an hour later without leaving a tip. After cleaning the table off she left for the bathroom to take a much needed break.

"My mother would have bent me over her knee if I said a thing like that to a woman." A male voice said.

Bella flipped around to face the man that had spoken to her.

"Jasper." She whispered.

"Hello Darlin'." Jasper replied.

"I have to get back to work." Bella said.

"Just a few minutes that's all I want." Jasper countered.

"I'm sorry Jasper I really have to get back to work." Bella told him.

"Please Bella, two minutes I'll settle for that."

"Do you have a pen?" Bella asked.

Jasper pulled the one that peaked out of her apron pocket and gave it to her. Bella grabbed a napkin and jotted down her address and handed it to Jasper when she was done.

"What is it?"

"My address. Come there tomorrow at two and we can talk."

"I'll meet you there."

The next day Bella had rushed to clean her apartment after getting off from her Job. Jasper would be there in a few minutes and she was freaking out. She had just pulled a clean shirt over her head when the door bell rang. She pulled her shirt all the way down and went to answer the door.

"Hello Jasper." Bella greeted.

"Hi," Jasper replied. "So how have you been?"

"I've been good." Bella replied. "You?"

"Not bad I can see that you have a good place here."

"It's not as nice as the ranch but it keeps me warm in the colder weather." Bella replied.

"Can I get a tour?" Jasper asked.

"Sure." Bella said.

She showed him the kitchen, Bathroom and her bedroom. They were walking past a second bedroom.

"What room is this?" Jasper asked.

"It is supposed to be an office slash guest room but it's just filled with boxes right now." Bella said looking at Jasper. "I know you have a question you want to ask to ask it already."

Both Jasper and Bella remained silent.

"Why did you leave?" Jasper asked breaking the silence.

"Charlie was in an accident. I left to take care of him and by the time I got the courage up to go back you had already moved on to someone else." Bella told him.

"Bella I haven't dated anyone else since before you left and that was you." Jasper said.

"Then who was the blond I saw you kissing?" Bella asked.

"That was Jane and she kissed me only because I helped her and her partner Alec solved their case." Jasper said. "There was nothing going on between us. It has always been you." He added pulling her close and kissing her.

Bella had pushed Jasper away. She hadn't expected that. She hadn't expected to run into Jasper but he had been at the restaurant with his mother Carolynn –who Bella hadn't known was there.

"I'm sorry I can't do this." Bella said. "I have a job to get to."

"Can I come by again?" He asked.

"No I'll be busy with school and work." Bella told him.

"I hope to see you again." Jasper said leaving.

Bella couldn't help but feel bad about lying to Jasper but how was she supposed to tell Jasper. Alive or dead the news would change his life.

Bella stood on the main path of the cemetery. She hated coming here. The head stones and wilting flowers creep her out and seemed to mock her. She found the smaller path that she had been looking for and continued toward the bench she always sat on. Sitting on the bench she did the only thing she could do and that was cry. Crying while she looked at her son's headstone.

_**Jasper Otto Whitlock Jr.**_

_**November 1**__**st**__** 2006~ November 14**__**th**__** 2006**_

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Did you follow me Jasper?" Bella asked turning to face him.

"No I was actually visiting a buddy that didn't make it through the war." Jasper said. "And you still didn't answer my question."

"How should I have told you?" Bella asked. "A call? A text? Email noting would have made it easier for you or me."

"Well; no it would not have been easier but it would have been better than you going through this all alone." Jasper said.

"Take a look at the date on the stone again. He's only been gone a week." Bella said. "I only got two weeks with him."

"You should have told me." Jasper said pulling Bella closer to him.

Bella didn't reply to what Jasper said. She just collapsed into his arms sobbing. After a few minutes Jasper adjusted his hold on Bella.

"Bella I think it's time for you to go home." Jasper told Bella.

Bella just mumbled and pulled herself closer to Jasper. Figuring that Bella's crying wasn't going to stop any time soon Jasper moved to stand up. It took Jasper a few seconds to get up without dropping Bella who was still cradled in his arms.

After standing all the way up Jasper took Bella to his truck and buckled her into the front passenger seat. He drove toward the address that she had given him two days before. He found her keys in her pocket and unlocked the apartment door before going back to get her.

He picked her up again and carried her into the apartment. He took her to her room and placed her on the bed and covered her up. He walked out of the room and into the living room. He sat down on the old worn looking brown couch. He was tempted to go look in the room he now assumed to be little Jasper room had he lived long enough to make it home.

He had no idea what to think or do. He had a son that lived for fourteen days but never got to meet. He could ask Peter how he felt when he and Charlotte thought that they were going to lose Allen but he didn't want Peter to know just yet and he didn't know what Bella wanted to do because he knew that he had to tell his family some time about little Jasper but he also knew that he had to consult with Bella on that.

Feeling that his eyes lids were beginning to droop down Jasper laid his head down on the back of the couch and drifted off to sleep. The dream he had he couldn't decided if it was a good dream or if it had been a nightmare.

"_Daddy, Daddy." A little boy with blonde hair screamed as he rode a little tricycle that looked like a tractor around a yard._

"_I can see you buddy." Jasper replied._

_Just as he had replied to the little boy the little boy fell from the tricycle to the ground._

Jasper jumped out of his sleep after that and forced himself to stay awake. He didn't want to dream that dream again. The little boy looked way to much what he thought little Jasper would look like had he gotten the chance to grow up.

He didn't have a picture; he didn't even know if had taken any or had one herself. He sat there for hours pondering this until. Bella had woken up at three am and stumbled into the living room. She hadn't spotted him on the couch and continued to the kitchen.

He got up from the couch and walked over to the kitchen and stood in the door way watching her. She took out a carton of eggs and bacon and started to cook them.

"Are you going to keep on starring at me or what?" Bella asked.

"I guess not but Bella we need to talk." Jasper replied. "I won't be able to keep this from my family. Even if I keep the fact that you are his mother from them I still have to tell them because they will know something is up when I come back home all depressed."

"I never said you couldn't tell them." Bella said. "And I want to be there when you do but I don't think I could go back with the way I left."

"Bella they won't care and in fact Ma would understand losing a child, she had three miscarriages and gave birth to a still born between Jasmine and I and cancer end up taking Jasmine away too."

"She would hate me for what I did to you."

"She would be disappointed but she wouldn't hate you." Jasper said. "She actually thinks I pissed you off somehow."

"That's impossible." Bella said. Taking her now empty plate and placed it in the sink.

"Come back with me. Even if it's just for the weekend." Jasper pleaded. "Please."

"I don't think I can Jasper. Not this time anyway." Bella said walking out of the kitchen. She came back into the kitchen a few seconds later and asked. "Are you coming or what?" she asked.

"I didn't know you wanted me to follow." Jasper replied. "You should have said something."

"I should have said a lot of things." Bella said pausing at the door of what would have been little Jasper's room.

"This would have been his room." Bella said opening the door to let Jasper in. "You can look around all you want. I have something I need to finish."

Jasper just nodded as he looked around the room. It was white like the rest of the apartment but color was brought into the room threw blankets and pictures and stuffed animals. There was a crib along the only wall without a door or window on it. It was an old cherry wood crib but he liked it and it was real wood not the junk you see in stores today. He ran his fingers across the blanket inside the crib. It had the name Jasper stitched into it.

"I had that made when I found out he was a boy." Bella said from the door way. "I haven't been in here since before he was born. It was too hard to come in here afterward knowing he would never sleep or play in here."

"I can't blame you. It's hard being in here now." Jasper said looking at Bella. "What's that?" he asked pointing to the books in her hand.

"Something I thing you would like to look at." Bella said sitting down on the window seat. "And something I should look at."

"What are they?" Jasper asked.

"One is the diary I kept the whole time I was pregnant and in the hospital with him." Bella said. "And the other one is all the pictures I took of him and the sonograms his bracelet from the hospital, even his foot and hand prints." Barley keeping the tears away.

Jasper put his arm around her and hugged her before he slowly opened the book of pictures.

The first one was of a small black spot in a swirl of white. It was dated a few days after Bella left. He flipped the page and there was another sonogram taken a few weeks after the first one.

"Why are there so man sonograms?" Jasper asked Bella.

"The pregnancy was high risk so they had me take one about every week to make sure he was doing okay." Bella said.

"Who took this?"

"A nurse took it for me about five minutes after he was born before they took him away to the NICU."

"NICU?" Jasper asked.

"Neo-natal intensive care unit." Bella replied. "Was going to call and tell you about him the day he died but he died before I could even hit your number on speed dial."

"That quick?"

Bella just nodded as Jasper continued to flip through the pages of the album. When he was done he handed it back t her.

"No keep it. I have copies of everything." Bella said.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course." Bella said.

"I think I should be going. I didn't go home last night and I am pretty sure Ma's having a coronary because I haven't called home." Jasper said. "I'll come back next weekend."

"You don't have to." Bella told Jasper.

"I don' have to but I want to." Jasper said. "I still care about you Bella. I still consider you my girlfriend. Now if you still want to be my girlfriend is another story but we'll talk about that another time right now well in the words of my father we have bigger fish to fry."

"That sounds like something my dad would say. Considering his favorite food is his best friend's fish fry makes it even funnier."

"I guess it does." Japer said. "I'm going to go now before I do something I might regret."

"We've done it before." Bella said.

"Yeah and I wouldn't mind doing it again but we would both regret it with all the emotional turmoil were in right now."

"Thanks for bringing me home."

"I couldn't leave you there. God only knows what someone could have done to you." Jasper said. "And I couldn't bear the thought of something like that. Not to mention my own mother would have kick my ass for leaving you there."

"I would pay to see that."

"Of course you would and so would Peter and Charlotte and everyone else who knows me."

"Yeah the probably would, heck the might even pay to see it on pay-per-view."

"At least I would make money off of it then too." Jasper said gripping the photo book in his hand. "I really need to get going."

"See you next weekend and once again I'm sorry about no—"

"Bella I get it you are sorry but you don't have to keep on saying you are." Jasper said. "This book alone shows that you are sorry."

"It doesn't seem like enough to me." Bella said.

"But to me it is and that is all that should matter to you." Jasper told her.

"I'll have to hear that a few more times before I believe you but you really should get going if you don't want it to be dark by the time you get back home."

Jasper said goodbye, kissed her cheek and left Bella's apartment. It was one of the hardest things he had to do because he knew she needed him and he needed her but if he had stayed that they both would regret what would have happened.

Jasper arrived home a half hour later after stopping off at wall mart to get a picture frame. He went to his room. He sat down on his bed and flipped through the pages of the book Bella had made him of their son. He picked out the one that spoke the most to him. It was a black and white picture after he was born. Bella was holding him but you couldn't tell it was her and he only knew because she had told him it was her holding him.

He took the picture out of the book carefully and scanned it on to his computer before putting it back. He printed the picture after he enlarged it to fit the frame he got. He cut the white edge away and placed the picture in the frame. He put the black backing of the frame back in and sat it up. He just continued to look at it.

Jasper must have sat there for hours staring at the picture because he was startled when Peter walked into the room even though he had knocked on the door frame.

"What are you looking at?" Peter asked walking over. He saw the picture and said. "Cute kid who is he?"

"He's my son." Jasper said without thinking.

"Dude you have a kid and you haven't told mom?" Peter exclaimed.

"I don't have a kid." Jasper said and I didn't know until yesterday."

"You just said he was yours." Peter said.

"And he died a week ago." Jasper said getting up from his chair.

"Do I know the mother?" Peter asked.

"Yes but she doesn't exactly want people around right now." Jasper said. "She was going to call and tell me about him the day he died but he died before she could even press the first digit in my phone number."

"What was his name?"

"She named him after me." Jasper said. "Middle name and all because she wanted him to have something from me with him at all times. It makes me feel a little bit better that he as a small part of me but I never got to hold him or hear his heart beat and I never will. How can I feel this bad and I never got to meet the kid."

"For the same reason Charlotte and I were worried about Allen just after he was born and the fact that you miss your son so much now even though you have never held him shows how great a father you would have been." Peter said. "All I can say Jasper is move on –don't forget your son—but move on because you life will only get harder if you wallow in the pain of losing him. Plus you need to tell mom."

"I know I have to but I have to talk to his mother first." Jasper said. "She was real jittery about telling the family let alone me. I'm hoping to talk her into coming to the ranch next Friday."

"Good I can't wait to meet the girl that has my brother all up in knots."

"Yeah I can't wait for you to meet her too." Jasper said with sarcasm that was lost on Peter.

But he kept his promise to Bella that he wouldn't tell his family that she was the mother unless she wanted them to know about her. He had hoped that he would get her to change her mind and tell them and if not that at least come out to the ranch next weekend to see them.

"Jasper I need you to get my stock pot from the top of the shelf please." Carolynn shouted up the stairs to him.

"I'll be down in a minute." Jasper called back down to her.

He put the book away into a drawer of odds and end after replacing the picture he had taken out of it. He then took the picture he put in the frame and put it on a shelf above his desk where his mother wouldn't see it unless she had walked all the way in to his room. He knew he should tell her like he told Peter but he would when she asked him about it if she had happened to ask; which is the only way he felt like he could get through it right now, without Bella near him.

He trudged himself down stairs to help his mother out. They had several stock pots for when she helped out the soup kitchen in town. He had her grab the red and silver one she used for her chicken and dumplings.

"Is this the pot you wanted?" he asked holding the red pot up for her to see.

"Yes it is and thank you for getting it for me." Carolynn said taking it from him.

She put two chickens in the pot and filled it with water and sat it on the stove to boil the chickens. After making sure the pot was boiling nicely and covered she turned her attention to the dough.

"Are you feeling okay?" she asked Jasper. "You look a little worn and ragged."

"I'm fine. I just have a lot of things I need to think about right now."

"Does it have to deal with Bella?" she asked.

"A little bit. I ran into her a few days ago after we had dinner in Dallas."

"And how is she doing?"

"Fine as far as I can tell we hadn't really talked all that much."

"I don't need the details."

"It wasn't like that Ma. She was depressed about something but wasn't entirely too ready to talk about it with me or anyone else for that matter." Jasper said. "She just cried most of the time I was with her even after I took her home."

"It was nice that you took her home." Carolynn said.

"I know. I told her you would've kicked my but if I hadn't done that."

Carolynn watched her son leave the kitchen after he made sure she had everything she needed or could at least reach it if she needed to get it later. She knew something was wrong with him and more so that his running into Bella and she would bet all she had that whatever was going on with him still had something –no matter how big or small— that dealt with Bella.

She could be the nosy type of mother she's know a few of the moms in her bible group to be but she knew if Jasper wanted her to know what was going on he would tell her. The only time she had ever gone snooping in her boys rooms were when the high school sent out a note about the major amount of marijuana in a locker and she wanted to know if her boys had any in their rooms and thankfully they didn't but she just had to be sure.

"Hey Ma," Peter greeted her.

"Peter." She said. "Has your brother looked I guess depressed since you last saw him."

"Earlier yeah and he has a reason to be but that is for him to tell you not me. I promised him that I wouldn't say a thing."Peter told her. "Sorry Ma,"

"I understand." Carolynn said. "If your brother can't stick up for you then who will? Just don't let him do anything stupid."

"I couldn't do that." Peter said. "Besides what he is depressed over wouldn't let him do something stupid."

"You are his big brother you have to help him." Carolynn said. "And no making fun of him."

"Ma not only would you castrate me if I made fun of him but Charlotte and every other female in the world would castrate me."

"Trust me all women think that at one point. Most if not all of the time it happens when they are giving birth." Carolynn said.

"I know that's why I ran out of the room when the twins were born."

"Chicken. Your father stayed in the room with all four of you and that was after I broke his hand with you."

"Well I'm more like you and Jasper was always more like dad." Peter said.

"That's true but you are also more like your father than you think you are."

"You have told me that my whole life and even more so now that dad's gone."

"Yes I do and I say it over and over again because its true and you should realize that."

"Well lunch is almost done so go get your brother down here to eat." Carolynn said stirring the pot again.

"All you did was boil the chickens." Peter said.

"That's for dinner. Lunch was in the oven." Carolynn said. "No go get your brother before I get my spoon."

"No need for idle threats." Peter said.

"My threats weren't idle and you know that now get." Carolynn said.

Pete hurried out of the room.

Bella had grabbed her own copy of the picture album and started looking at it. She had different color toned pictures and she loved them all. She couldn't pick just one to her favorite. They would all be her favorite because they would be the only ones that she would ever have.

She also had a short thirty second video of Little Jasper before a nurse yelled at her and told her to turn it off. Bella of course obeyed but she never deleted the video and transferred it to her computer when she got home from the hospital after he passed on.

He had only been buried two days when Jasper walked up to her. She spent what was left on her savings on the cost of the burial and the bills that she had to pay because of the two weeks she had missed work.

Bella set the book aside to grab her phone when it rang. She read the name on the screen: _Charlie._

"Hey dad." She answered.

"I was just a calling to see how my daughter and grandchild are doing."

"Dad I lost the baby a week ago." Bella said.

"What? Why didn't you tell me I would have flown down to be with you." Charlie exclaimed.

"I needed to be alone to mourn." Bella told him. "And I didn't even tell the dad until yesterday and that's only because he happened upon me at the baby's grave."

"And is anything going on with him?" Charlie asked suspicious.

"No. We just talked all though he seems to want get back together." Bella said "And I don't know what I want at the moment."

"Well I'm coming down in December to see you."

"Dad you don't—"

"Bella I had planned on coming anyway so there is no point in stopping me." Charlie said.

"I guess I will see you in a few weeks." Bella said.

"Bye Bella."

Bella hung up the phone and put it back into its cradle only to pick it up again a few seconds later.

"Hey Bella,"

"Hello Jasper." Bella said.

"I wanted to call and let you know that Peter knows about our son he doesn't know it's you but he knows I had a kid but only because I snapped at him."

"It's fine. We need to tell them some time anyhow because my dad knows now and it's not right for him to know and your family not to know."

"I agree but I do have another question for you though." Jasper replied.

"What is it?" Bella asked.

"Are you going to introduce me to your father or what do you want to do about that?" Jasper said unsure of what to say.

"Of course I do, I just wouldn't know what to call you because I left thinking you had moved on."

"You could call me your boyfriend because in my mind we never technically broke up and fiancée would seem like we were stretching it a bit."

"I guess boyfriend it is." Bella said. "Fiancée wouldn't work because you have not actually proposed to me."

"But I wanted to." Jasper blurted out. "I even bought a ring."

"You bought a ring?" Bella asked completely shocked.

"Yes I bought it the same day as that pride and prejudice book."

"How come you didn't ask?" Bella asked him.

"Because it didn't feel right and you never came back." Jasper said. "I was depressed for weeks because I couldn't ask you."

"I don't know what to say.

"You don't have to say anything and I do plan on proposing to you but it won't before a while considering we both have to deal with Little Jasper's death."

"Little Jasper I should put that on his stone when I can pay for one."

"I'll do it and don't even protest. You paid for everything else of his even if he didn't get to use it. Just let me pay for this." Jasper said so fast that Bella couldn't even protest.

"Fine but I want to be there when you pick it out as morbid as that sounds."

"It's not morbid and it's better than him having a three by four inch brass plaque as his grave marker." Jasper told her. "And I couldn't pick one out on my own no matter whose grave it belonged to."

"It should be simple, just his name and date of birth and date of death." Bella told him.

"I was never one for extravagant things and I will be that way even in death. So what I would do for my son wouldn't be any different."

"You would have been the first person to by him a horse." Bella said.

"No that would be grandma, she paid for my first horse, Peter's first horse and Jasmine's first horse and I am pretty sure she's looking around for horses for Ellen and Allen at the moment."

"That sounds like her." Bella paused. "Jasper I think we should tell her and I know it's crude to say it this way but it'll be easier if we do it like ripping off a Band-Aid."

"Bella that's not a crude way of putting it; and whenever you think it a good time to tell her would be good for me. We could tell her this weekend after we go and order the headstone."

"Better late than never," Bella mumbled.

"I'll be there with you so don't freak out."

"Jasper you have only known a few days and you are calmer about it than I am." Bella told him.

"I guess it comes from my military background. I was trained to keep calm in chaotic situations and I will probably break down at some point when I'm alone."

"I want to wait until the weekend before Charlie arrives which is the weekend after next. That way if the Stone is done we can have a small memorial for him with my dad and your family."

"Good idea." Jasper replied.


	44. The Longer the Waiting Josh Turner Pt2

_**The Longer the Waiting –Josh Turner**_

_**Oh, the longer the waiting, the sweeter the kiss  
It's better my darling, I promise you this  
the next time I hold you, I'm not letting go  
I will give up the ocean forever, I know  
Forever, I know**_

A week and a few days later Jasper was on his way to Bella's to pick her up. They were going to dinner to discuss how they should break the news to his family. It was difficult for them to come to a conclusion because everyone knows how they would break the news that they had a baby but a baby that had died fourteen days after birth is a whole another story that most wouldn't even touch unless it was a work of fiction.

He walked up to her door and knocked. There was a rustling of papers and the sound of heavy footsteps coming toward the door. Jasper heard the clink of the deadbolt being unlocked; and then the creak of the door opening.

"Who are you?" an older man about forty said.

"I'm Jasper. I'm here to pick up Bella for dinner but I guess she has other plans."

"Do you even know what she is going through right now and you want to take her to dinner to get—"

"With all due respect sir I know what your daughter is going through because I am in that same boat as her just a different deck."

"You are the one who knocked my daughter up; when she still has college to get through." The man replied.

"I didn't knock her up. I would have been there had she told me. If I had really just thrown her by the way side my own mother would kick my ass for doing it and I was going to propose to her but she left to help you before I could and never came back and it was only a fluke that I even found out about our son. My mother would have gladly watched the baby while I was at work and Bella was in class or studding." Jasper told the man. "Now can you please tell me where Bella is?"

"Talking to her mother,"

Jasper groaned.

"You've heard their talks?" the man asked.

"Yes. A few times and they make some of the calls I had in Iraq seem like calls with the queen of England." Jasper replied. "Am I right to assume that you are Bella's father."

"You would be correct about that. What's your name?"

"Jasper Whitlock," Jasper replied.

"Why does that sound familiar?" Charlie asked.

"It's the name Bella gave our son. We come to where we've called him little Jasper."

"How have you been taking this all in?"

"Oh Little by little, I get my frustrations out by working out in a make shift gym my brother set up in an old barn of ours, I've only exploded in anger once thankfully that was over the phone and away from Bella. I do the most I can right now which is to try and to stay strong for Bella which is what she needs right now." Jasper said "nothing more nothing less."

"Well you better get in her before Bella comes out and kicks my but for making you stand out there like a fool in the middle of a river." Charlie said letting Jasper walk into the apartment.

* * *

Bella walked into the living room after having showered. It was quiet too quiet. She hadn't even heard Charlie's game on the TV. But she could tell it was on by the glow the screen cast on the wall.

"Dad." She called.

"In the living room Bells with your friend."

"Friend, what friend?" Bella asked. "I didn't have anyone coming ov—Jasper what are you doing here."

"Well I had planned on taking you to dinner and discussing the headstone." Jasper replied.

"I'm sorry I forgot about that with my dad showing up early and everything."

"Bella that's fine we can always reschedule."

"I can stay here the Marlins game is after this so I won't be bored." Charlie said.

"Are you sure dad, I don't want to leave you alone."

"Bella I have lived alone for half my life I can handle a few hours alone." Charlie said. "Besides you'll probably be back before the second game even enters the seventh inning stretch."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes now go. What you two are going to do is something that can't be put off." Charlie said.

"Just let me get my bag Jasper." Bella said leaving the room.

* * *

Jasper stood up and walked to the door. Bella came back a few seconds later with her jacket on and purse in hand.

"See you later kids." Charlie said.

Bella and Jasper left Charlie to watch the game and left the apartment. Jasper led Bella to his truck and helped her climb in before going around and climbing into the truck himself. They drove for a few minutes before they came upon the memorial place.

Jasper grabbed her hand when they got out of the truck.

"I didn't want that to be the way you met my dad but at least he didn't want to kill you." Bella said.

"Oh he still wants to kill me but being an officer of the law keeps him from doing so." Jasper said. "That and he has no clue where to hide my body. His descriptions were very inventive."

"He didn't." Bella said.

"He did after he allowed me into the apartment." Jasper said coming to a stop in front of the door. "Are you ready?"

"Better now than later because there is no use to put it off even longer." Bella said digging around in her bag.

"What are you looking for?" Jasper asked.

"It's okay we can go in now. I was just making sure I had something." Bella told him.

"Oh." Jasper said pulling the door open for Bella.

Bella walked in and immediately flinched at the smell of the place. It reminded her of the funeral home she visited to plan Little Jasper's funeral.

"Are you all right. Just tell me what you would like and I can do it myself." Jasper said.

"No I can do it. It's just the smell that gets to me." Bella replied.

"I don't blame you. I had Peter do it for me when my uncle passed while I set up the appointments and called everyone to let him know that he passed."

"That had to be just as hard." Bella said.

"Hello I'm Willow Myers of Myers Memorials how can I help you two today."

The woman had spoken in a tone that made Bella want to scream at her that they weren't there for a birthday party.

"We need a simple memorial made for our son." Jasper said as Bella squeezed his hand.

"How simple did you want to go?" Willow asked.

"Just his name, his birth date and his date of death."

"And that will be all." Bella said before Willow could get them to buy anything more than what they wanted.

"Okay. I'll show you the simple stones we have and you can choose from those." Willow said. Then of course we'll have to get the information you want on it and how it would be paid for."

Jasper and Bella looked at ten stones that all looked the same to them. The picked one that had a bigger base to support the whole thing and a small slot to hold flowers if they wanted to put them in.

"Jasper I'm going to head back to the truck now if it's okay." Bella said. "This is a map of the cemetery where he's buried with his plot circle. There's a small brass plaque that has his name on it."

"Okay. I'll be out in a few." Jasper said taking the papers from her.

After asking for a blank piece of paper. Jasper quickly drew how they wanted their son's name and dates of birth and death to be displayed.

"How much would a photo etching add to the cost?"

"It would depend on the size of the picture." Willow said.

"This size." Jasper said handing over a wallet sized picture.

"This size would add about three hundred to the cost of at a whole."

"And the total would be?" Jasper asked.

"For us it would be two thousand four hundred and thirty nine cents. You would pay that directly to us and you would have to pay fees to the cemetery for instillation and things like that."

"Oh I will and when will the stone be done?" Jasper asked.

"Two weeks." Willow replied.

"Could you let me know when it's done because I'll pick it up and have the cemetery install it."

"That is against our policy to do that." Willow replied.

"For all you know I could be putting it in a privet family cemetery there is one on my family's ranch."

"You know what. I'm going to go somewhere else for this." Jasper said. "I will talk to my girlfriend out there and ask her if it's all right if we move him. I don't really like him being so far from home anyhow."

Jasper then took every single one of the papers and hurried from the offices before he blew up even further at the insufferable woman. Bella was leaning against the truck when he walked out the door.

"Jasper is everything all right?" Bella asked.

"I'm fine but there are things we need to talk about more but not right now. Right now I'd like to go and get your dad and take him out to dinner." Jasper told her.

"What are we not getting the stone for Little Jasper?"

"From here no. I couldn't stand to sit there with that woman any longer it's like my son's death was just a cash cow to her."

Bella just hugged him.

"Come on let's get out of here before she tries to sell us our own shoes." Jasper said opening the passenger door.

* * *

Bella didn't say anything and just climbed in. She didn't voice it but she agreed with Jasper on the Willow woman and was glad to be leaving even if she hadn't gotten the stone for Little Jasper like she had planned. They could always get it some other time but would have loved to have gotten it over with.

"So do you have anyplace you would like to take your dad?" Jasper asked pulling out of the parking lot.

"There's the barbeque place I would eat when I was pregnant with Little Jasper that's really good." Bella told him. "But it would be better to get the food and bring it to him the place isn't the time of place I would want to sit down and eat."

"That's fine. Where is it?" Jasper said.

Bella gave Jasper directions to the restaurant and sat quietly in the truck while he went in and ordered the food. She was left alone in the truck for about twenty minutes when jasper came back out with a paper bag filled with white Styrofoam cartons filled with food.

"I got the onion rings too." Jasper said.

"That's fine. I never ate them while I was pregnant because onions tended to make me sick." Bella told Jasper. "And I loved them before hand."

"Well I got three orders of them just in case." Jasper told her as he started the truck again.

He drove back to Bella's apartment and pulled into the closest visitor space he could find which he guessed to be about fifty feet away from Bella's door was.

Bella walked into her apartment when they got to it. She looked around and didn't see Charlie in the main part of the apartment.

"Dad were back." Bella called.

Bella heard the toilet flush.

"Bathroom." She and Jasper both say.

"Put the food on the table. I'm going to go change." Bella told Jasper.

She left Jasper by himself to sort through the food and he was doing just that when Charlie walked back into the room.

"Did you two get it all sorted?" Charlie asked.

"No because the woman acted more like we were dollar signs than a grieving couple." Jasper told him. "I'm going to check at the place my brother got our uncles headstone. They cost more but he said they were extremely nice to him when he went through it all. I should have gone there in the first place but I didn't think Bella would want to go somewhere far from home."

"That's considerate but she probably would have understood." Charlie said. "What's with the food?"

"Bella and I figured you would be hungry by now and she told me stories of how you couldn't cook –if that's true I don't know—but we decided to grab some food and bring it back."

"What is it?" Charlie asked.

"Well it's barbeque and all the fixings that come with it. I just got the ribs and pulled pork. I also got onion rings because they looked good."

"That means you have two things in common with my dad now." Bella said. "The first being that you liked baseball and the second one is that you order food on how good it looks not what it tastes like."

"That is because you made me eat rabbit food for the month you were there." Charlie said.

"That's because the doctor said you needed to watch your cholesterol before you had a major heart attack. Do I need to remind you what happen to Harry?" Bella countered.

"No you do not." Charlie said. "It was bad enough living through it."

"I know dad. I was there." Bella replied. "So has anything happened between you and Sue?"

Charlie sputtered trying to come up with an answer but gave up and went silent blood rushing to his face telling Jasper just were Bella got her blushing from embarrassment from.

"That is because the only thing I get from my mother is my fair skin." Bella told him.

"I said that out load." Jasper said slightly horrified.

"That you did." Bella said smirking. "And I learned from the best."

"You hung out with Peter too much." Jasper said.

"Oh I wasn't referring to Peter. I was referring to you mother; she's the one that taught me."

"Well Peter is just like her no matter how hard he tries to be like our dad."

"Bella was like that when she was little. She wanted to be a cop." Charlie said.

"Really?" Jasper asked.

"Yes and but that changed when I realized how bad blood made me sick." Bella told him. "I wanted nothing to do with cops for a month after that incident even my dad. It was so bad that he would have to change out of his uniform before coming home or I would scream my head off and run away from him."

"Hardest two months of my life. You know the guys thought your mother kicked me out because of that." Charlie said.

"How could she have kicked you out? She was off living with Phil."

"True and because she had been with him I stayed with you at the trailer though my house would have been better but she refused to let me have you stay there." Charlie told her. "I don't know why but she hated that house."

"Yeah well I loved it and she still doesn't know I would sneak over there when she and Phil had their knock down drag out fights if I couldn't go over to Alice or Angela's home."

"I didn't know that either." Charlie said.

"It usually happened when you worked late so Fridays or Tuesdays sometimes Wednesdays."

"Your life sounds similar to Charlotte's only it's her dad's home that she was running away from not her mom's." Jasper said.

"Who is Charlotte?" Charlie asked.

"Jasper's sister in law." Bella said. "She can have both Jasper and his Brother Peter running for their lives from just one look."

"Hey you can't say anything. You have been learning from her and Ma." Jasper said speaking up.

"They both knew I would need some help so the two of you wouldn't walk all over me. It wouldn't have happened anyway but they still taught me a few things just in case anything was to happen."

"Which was good; where the Volturi brothers were concerned." Jasper said.

"Yeah I saw them in the newspapers awhile back twenty five to life I think it read."

"For the man that claimed to be our cousin yes but for the actual family they originally got sentenced with life without parole but it was appealed and they were handed the new sentence of twenty-five to life." Jasper said.

"And you know that because?" Charlie asked.

"I testified in the trial." Jasper said. "I was told about the sentencing the day Bella came back. An agent working the case got a little zealous in thanking me when Bella arrived and then quickly left. I didn't know it was here until a few days ago when I found about our son."

"Not the best way to find out is it?" Charlie asked.

"No it is not. Go there just expecting to see an old friend and –well you know the rest of the story." Jasper told him. "And I know it's an odd conversation end but I really need to get home before my ma gets scared about my not coming home. Fully grown and she still worries."

"That's because she doesn't know where you are Jasper." Bella said. "I'll walk you out. I'll be back in a few minutes Dad; and leave some onion rings for me."

"Don't worry. There will be some left when you get back." Charlie replied before stuffing an onion ring into his mouth.

Bella rolled her eyes and walked Jasper out to his truck. He leaned up against it.

"What?" Bella asked.

"I wanted to know how you felt about moving Little Jasper to the family cemetery. It would be easier to get the stone installed that way and it wouldn't cost us extra because of the cemetery fees for instillation and he would be with family."

"But there were no empty plots where your uncle was buried. I checked."

"No I'm talking about the family cemetery on the ranch. My uncle was buried with his wife and her family. Everyone else is buried in the family cemetery." Jasper said. "I'll pay for everything from the exhumation to the reburial and head stone and even pay you back for what you paid when he first passed."

"I don't know what to think. There is so much we would have to do and we haven't even told your family yet."

"Don't worry Bella I will take care of everything and when if find out the tentative date he will be reburied we can go tell my family so they and your father can be there like they should have been in the first time around."

"Are you sure I feel bad leaving you to do this all on your own."

"You did it on your own the first time. It's my turn to do it now. It would only be fair." Jasper told her. "It should take at least two weeks to figure everything out."

"We should tell your family soon." Bella said.

"How about next week or sometime this weekend?" Jasper asked.

"This weekend that way they can get through Little Jasper's death a little bit before we see him buried again." Bella said.

"You want me to come pick you up tomorrow?" Jasper asked.

"Come get me some time after breakfast but before lunch because there is no way my stomach can handle telling them. It'll be flip flopping all over the place."

"I think mine would be doing the same. All though keep in mind that Peter already knows."

"It's not him I am worried about." Bella said.

"Nor I," Jasper replied.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Bella said.

"Of course I pick you up around eleven so we can have some time to ourselves before we tell our family." Jasper had leaned down to kiss her on the cheek but Bella turned her head and his lips landed on hers instead.

"Oh Bells I didn't mean for that to happen especially not now."

"It's okay Jasper. It was bound to happen sometime if we stayed together and just so you know it can't go further than that for another three weeks or so." Bella told him. "Yeah the doctor told me that after I gave birth like I was a hooking as my job."

"While you are beautiful enough to do the job and get a pretty penny doing it I know it is not the type of _job _for you." Jasper said hugging her. "I really have to go before I have to sleep in my tuck."

"I wouldn't want that and because of that comment I want you to text or call me when you park your truck in front of the ranch house." Bella said. "I want to know that you made it home safe."

"I'll defiantly call you and if I don't call you can always sick Charlotte on my ass." Jasper said.

"That is a good idea."

* * *

Charlie didn't have a clue what to think about the boy –or well man in this case- that had stolen Bella's heart her first year away from home on her own. He knew the young man still held Bella's heart without her even telling him so. All he had to do was look at the way she looked at him when he wasn't looking at her. There was a gleam in her eye that hadn't been there in a long time.

While they had been gone he couldn't keep his mind on the game no matter how hard he tried. His mind kept on coming back to was how well Bella and the Jasper kid were taking the death of their son but for all he knew about Jasper he could have another kid out there somewhere for all he knew and he could go and break Bella's heart again even if the first time was a complete accident on his part.

He hadn't heard them arrive back at the apartment while he was in the bathroom; they seemed okay but he could tell by they were both upset mostly by the subtleties in their body language and slight changes in their tone of voice. Even though both –even with what they were going through—seemed general naturally happy to be near each other they both still seemed upset about something. And he was pretty sure the woman at the head stone place was the reason for them both to be upset. He believed to be even truer when Jasper told him about what happened.

* * *

Bella and Jasper had left a few short minutes ago after eating dinner. He [Jasper] said he needed to get home or his mom would worry about him. Charlie hadn't minded that Bella walked him out he figured that they need to talk and he knew that but he had come down to visit with his daughter; not his daughter and the guy who got her pregnant in the first place.

The only thing to make it worse for him is that he only met the guy a few hours ago. While he still seemed to be an upstanding guy he could just be putting on a show for those that know Bella but that could also be the cop and father in him wanting to protect Bella and that would be something that would remain in him until the day he died maybe even after he died but he had no clue what awaited him after he passed on.

"Dad; are you okay?" Bella asked bringing him out of his mental monologue.

"Just tired Bells that's all." Charlie replied.

"Well you can take my bed and don't argue I haven' been able to sleep on that thing for weeks and I will be fine on the couch." Bella said. "Besides it will allow me to watch TV without bugging you if I can't get to sleep."

"Fine I will take your bed." Charlie replied.

* * *

Carolynn was still awaked when her youngest son came home. It was late but not late enough for her to leave her room and scold him for coming home so late. She knew something big was going on with her son but had no clue what it could be and she wasn't about to become the nosy mother and go looking through his room like her friends did their sons and daughters when they were in high school. She didn't feel right doing that and she had less trouble with Peter and Jasper than her friends did with their children.

Carolynn finally rested a little bit when she heard Jasper's footsteps stop. He probably in his room which was the only room in the house that he could go and not be heard –well the likely the only room he would go into anyway. There was a knock at her door.

"Come in." she called.

"Hey Ma," Jasper greeted her.

"What do you need?" She asked.

"I just came to let you know that I'm bringing Bella by the house tomorrow."

"She came back."

"To Texas yes but to town no," Jasper told her. "She actually came back a month after she left but do to unforeseen circumstances she thought I had moved on and decided to live in Dallas."

"And you to got back together recently?"

"I wouldn't say that but we are working through some things."

"She's not pregnant is she?"

"No." Jasper said. "Wait until tomorrow okay we can talk more than but right now I need to get some sleep."

"You go get your sleep but I will want to talk after breakfast tomorrow."

"I can't that is when I am going to pick up Bella." Jasper said.

"You make me worry when you say it like that." Carolynn said. "Like you two ran off and got married in the court house."

"Ma we are not married. I never even got the chance to ask her and right now isn't the time to ask." Jasper replied. "And if I knew she would say yes the court house does sound appealing but I wouldn't risk my neck to make you mad."

"You never really did make me mad. The only time was when you dated that Maria girl."

"Mom that was high school and she was the one to cause all the problems a few years ago when I didn't want to get back together with her but she met James and ran off with him."

"You should have listened to me and stopped that fiasco after the first date to begin with but you had to give me trouble somewhere peter covered everything else."

"So that would make Jasmine the good child," Jasper quipped.

"Of course it would. Besides having big brothers like you and Peter would have made it impossible to bring a date home without even bringing your father into it." Carolynn replied. "Now get going we both need to get rest for tomorrow."

* * *

Jasper walked up to his room. His talk with Charlie when he first met him had the memory of his fight with Bella running through his mind. Bella hadn't been mad at him just frustrated beyond belief and figured that Jasper had a right to be mad. She did after all keep his son away from him for the short fourteen days he was alive.

_"Dam it Jasper talk to me." Bella had yelled. "You were fine earlier what's wrong now?"_

_"Because it hit me that you have kept my son away from me and I will never get to meet him." Jasper shouted._

_"I know that and I have told you I am sorry a thousand times since you found out. And once again how the hell do you expect someone to tell you 'hey I got pregnant, had a baby and then lost it' and have them still be happy. YOU can't."_

_Jasper replied by cursing up a storm and slamming the phone down._

Shaking the thought away Jasper slipped into bed and a fitful night of sleep.

* * *

Bella couldn't sleep. She had been sitting on her couch awake for hours now. She had heard Charlie's deep snores fill the apartment about an hour after he walked into her room. There would be only two things keeping her up and that was Charlie in the other room because she didn't want to tell him about the nightmares she had been having and the second thing was that she was extremely worried about seeing and telling Jasper's family about little Jasper tomorrow.

It would be the third hardest thing she has ever had to do in her life. The first being when she lost him. The second thing she had to do was leave Charlie behind when she left for college and the third hardest thing she had to do would be walking away from Jasper when she had thought he moved on to someone else while she had been gone helping Charlie get better after being shot.

"Bells you're still up?" Charlie asked.

"I just can't get to sleep."Bella replied. "I'll be fine Dad. This happens every now and then. Even when I was pregnant it happened. I usually take sleeping pills for it but stopped while I was pregnant and I don't want to start them up again now that I'm not."

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay and that Jasper kid isn't trying to pull something on you."

"Don't start on that dad. He has a right to be pissed that he didn't get to meet his son but no he's dealing with it in a much better manner than any guy back in forks would have. He made sure I got home fine after I broke down after he found out." Bella snapped at Charlie. "So don't go saying he is trying to pull one over on me. If you want to continue to do that then you can go find a hotel to stay in."

Charlie didn't say anything he just held his hands up in surrender and backed into the hallway and all the way into Bella's room. He didn't like arguing with his daughter because it only happened when she got angry with him for some reason. The last one was when he tried to get her to go to her prom with Billy's son Jacob; she didn't talk to him for a week after that particular fight.

Bella had turned her attention back to the TV which had an infomercial playing. She had no idea what it was for but figured it was something to make the people of the world even lazier in their home lives if their job wasn't a physical trainer or Hollywood star two people that had to work continually on their bodies if they wanted to stay in shape unless they happened to be lucky and never gained a single pound.

It did not take Bella long to fall asleep to the dull and falsely happy voice of the pitchman on the screen.


	45. TheAnswer Josh Turner

_**The Answer by Josh Turner**_

_**If you're lookin' for somebody you can talk to  
When the heartache and the troubles overcome you  
There's a man you can count on  
That you can put your problems on**_

You've questions, you need directions  
Arms to hold you for all eternity  
Look no further 'cause there's no other  
For a lover and an understander  
Jesus is the answer

Bella had kept a tight grip onto Jasper's hand as they drove closer to Jasper's hand as they drove closer to Jasper's family which had been put off until after Christmas had passed –Bella had not wanted to ruin their holiday and the moving of Little Jasper took longer than they thought it would. They had planned Little Jasper's move to happen in about a week. Bella had no idea how much it was costing them –or rather Jasper—but Jasper had refused to tell Bella, what the amount came to.

They told the cemetery that they planned on giving the soon to be empty plot to a family of a veteran that got killed or a family that lost a child and couldn't afford to buy a plot for themselves and that they would want to remain anonymous about it too. Also because she had not wanted to go out to the ranch at the time Jasper took pictures of where they could re-burry Little Jasper. Bella had picked a spot close to Jasper's father.

Bella had started to panic as they started to move up the long drive way to the house. Jasper took her hand and gripped it telling her that it would be okay until he pulled his truck to a stop in front of the house. He got out closing his door and went over to Bella's side and opened her door and helped Bella out Jasper out. Bella was shaking slightly.

"Bella it's alright." Jasper told her trying to calm her down. "No one is home right now. You can stay in my room and out of sight if you want to until they get home."

Bella just nodded weakly as Jasper lead her up to his room. When they got there she sat down on his bed without saying a word. Jasper sat down beside her and took her hand into his.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked her. "Because I can take you right back home."

"I have to. If I don't do it now I'll never do it and we've put it off long enough." Bella replied, "Besides Charlie will be back next week for the re-burial."

"I really don't want to leave you but I have to finish some chores otherwise my mother would really know something is up." Jasper said. "But you can stay here and take a nap and get the sleep that you and I both know you need."

"I'll try but I can't promise anything." Bella replied.

"You don't have to." Jasper said. "I will be back as soon as I am done."

Jasper left after giving Bella a kiss on the fore head. He really didn't want to leave her but he didn't want his mother to start hovering over him before they got the news out. Yeah Peter knew but he always kept Jasper's secrets even one as big as the one he and Bella were holding in right now.

How they were going to tell his family was the biggest thing they worry about. The one they were most scared of telling was his mother. She was the one person they couldn't figure out how to tell. Jasper knew that it was going to break her heart no matter when they told her he just didn't know how bad it was going to break it.

After doing his chores Jasper decided to take a shower and then decided to go to the kitchen. While in the kitchen he made sandwiches that he could eat all on his own if Bella didn't feel like eating them. On his way up the stairs Jasper heard the crunch of the gravel outside. He hurried up the stairs. Bella was sleeping. She had the picture of Little Jasper (that Jasper had printed off and framed) in her arms.

He put the sandwiches on the bed side table and quickly left a note to Bella before he went to see who had driven up. He had gotten down the stairs when Peter walked through the front door.

"Hey man your home. I thought you weren't going to be home until later." Peter greeted.

"I finished what I had to." Jasper replied. "What are you doing here?"

"We forgot Ellen special Bear. She started hollering for it as we put her down to bed."

"So you aren't coming home tonight?"

"Nope."

"Well I'll see you tomorrow but I have to check on the horses." Jasper replied.

Jasper left to check on the horses and Peter went up to get Ellen's special bear.

Peter had trudged up the stairs. He slipped into the room He and Char shared when they stayed over which had come more and more now that Char's dad was back in town. He grabbed the bear out of the pack-n-play and turned to leave. He had closed the door when he heard the sniffling coming from Jasper's room.

He paused and walked toward the door. It was left slightly ajar. He could see legs of a woman hanging of the end of Jasper's bed; he pushed the door open a little further and saw that it was Bella lying on Jasper's bed. He could see that she had a picture frame in her hand and he was pretty sure that he frame held the picture of a baby Jasper said was his son that had passed on. Seeing Bella holding that picture frame so close and crying he knew that Bella was the mother of Jasper's son.

He pulled the door back to where he found it and went to find Jasper –after he put Ellen's bear in his truck. He was on his second pass through the horse barn when he found Jasper in the office.

"I thought you would be gone by now," Jasper said.

"I thought I would be too but I heard a sniffling coming from your room." Peter said. "I stopped and checked it out. So do you mind telling me why Bella was in your room crying while holding a picture of the baby you claim is your son?"

Jasper rubbed his face in frustration.

"Probably because she's the mother," Jasper replied reluctantly.

"She's the mother; you told me I didn't know the mother." Peter exclaimed.

"I did tell you that you knew the mother I also told you that she didn't want people to know at the moment." Jasper snapped. "And I think the only reason she's going to tell people know is we are moving his body here and she's still scared out of her mind that Ma's going to kick her but across Texas."

"You know Ma isn't like that." Peter said. "She'd probably try and fed Bella a ton of food before sending her off to bed."

"You know that, I know that and I have tried telling Bella that bus she just doesn't believe me." Jasper said. "But listen when you get back to charlotte don't say anything we are telling everybody tomorrow since none of you seem to be coming home tonight."

"I could bring them home if you want me too."

"No because that would cause them to freak out and I can't do that to Ma. Tomorrow will be bad enough and I have Bella to worry about right now."

"I guess you do but don't put too much pressure on her it can really make them go into a depression." Peter said. "It's what happened to Char when she miscarried two years ago." Peter said. "It nearly broke us apart and we were stronger for it afterword's but I wouldn't even wish that upon my worst enemy, heck it's bad enough losing them before they are born after they are born I couldn't imagine and Char and I nearly lost Allen after the twins after they were born."

"But you still have them. You got to meet Allen and Ellen I however didn't get to meet my son, not even for a minute did I get to hold my son."

"I get that I do Jasper but I'm not the person you should be mad at, hell you should be looking into his medical records to see if they had anything to do with his death. I mean has Bella even told you about the day he died at all."

"The only thing she has told me is that she was going to call me just before code blue was called on Little Jasper."

"Jasper something must have happen Jasper. Unless Little Jasper died from SIDS something happed that day at the hospital. A perfectly healthy baby wouldn't just die."

"I know that because I have read every single article I could on early births and what could go wrong and where nurses or doctors killed the babies by giving them the wrong medicine and it all just makes me crazy because there is no way I could ask Bella about all this."

"Well you should have."


	46. Play Me That Song Brantley Gilbert

_**Play Me That Song–BrantleyGilbert**__*****_

_**Play me that song, play me that song you wrote About the girl who might not ever know, How much you care, or how much you love her. Play me that song, play me that song again Cause I like to think there's someone there Who might love me just like that, So play me that song again.  
Girl you know I gotta tell you the truth, I can't hide it no more. I can't believe you didn't see through The hiding, disguises, **_

_**every time I'm singing, Well there it is.  
Baby that song, baby that song I wrote About the girl who might not ever know, How much I care, or how much I love her. Baby that song, I gotta tell you the truth I've been hiding this so long from you. Baby that song you love so much, Is all about you.**_

"Well you should have." Bella said from the door way.

"Bella what are you doing here?" Jasper said jumping up from his chair.

"I woke up and you weren't there." Bella said. "And I figured it was getting close to the time we were going to tell the family. Well two people from your family that is."

"It oh so obvious that you two have more to talk about than you thought so I am going to leave before Char gets to worried." Peter said before leaving the room.

Bella walked over to Jasper's desk and sat on the edge of it.

"He's right there are things we really need to talk about." Bella said. "Things that should have been said from the beginning weather we are worried it would piss the other one off or not they have to be said."

"I know you are right but I don't know what to say to you. I know what you are going through is hard and I don't want to see you go into some crying jag or depression." Jasper said. "I don't like seeing you in any off those."

"Jasper that's going to happen weather you are there for the crying and depression or not I have held it in too long to no do it." Bella told him. "And I was alone at the start of it."

Jasper sat down in his chair and pulled Bella toward him. "You are not alone now." He told her while holding her close. "You should have never been alone."

Bella had mumbled something but Jasper wasn't sure and couldn't ask her because she had fallen back asleep. Carefully with Bella in his arms he stood up, turned off the lights and locked up the office and headed for the house. He saw that Peter's truck was gone as he made his way up the stairs and into the house.

Jasper closed the front door and headed for his room. He pulled back the covers on his bed and tucked Bella in. He left the picture of Little Jasper on the bed side table where Bella had left the picture. He was too wired to get any sleep. So he headed down stairs to get something to eat. He end up just picking at it like he was a bird or something but still he only moved from his seat at the kitchen table when the phone rang.

"Whitlock residence," He greeted.

"Jasper it's your mother I just ran into Peter at the store he said that you seemed a little off do I need to come home."

"No Ma you don't need to come home. I'll see you tomorrow." Jasper said.

"You do sound off I'll come home right now."

"Ma; please do not come home right now. I will talk with you tomorrow." He said.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes, I'll be fine by then." Jasper said. "I need to think about some things and get my head on straight."

An hour after getting off the phone with her son Carolynn knew that she was needed at home no matter Jasper had said to her. She had taken the overnight bag she brought with her to the INN and checked out after letting her friends know that she was needed at home; having kids themselves they understood why Carolynn was leaving early. She drove home quickly but arrived safely and was pulling up the long drive way a little under two hours later.

After parking her car Carolynn had grabbed her bag from the passenger seat and stepped out of the car; she paused for a few seconds to smell the wonderful fragrances coming off of the flowers in the flower bed and went inside. She looked around for Jasper and knew he must have gone to bed because he wasn't in any of the downstairs rooms. She headed up the stairs to her own room to put her things away.

She paused for a second outside Jasper's room to see if he was okay. He was because she heard him talking to someone in hushed tones.

"—_weather we go or not is up to you but I really think it can help us."_

While she could hear the worry in his voice she wasn't sure who it was Jasper was talking to but she would bet all her money on that fact that it would be why he was so worked up over something and wouldn't tell her about it. Stepping back from his door Carolynn said a small and quite prayer for him she continued on to her room.

Her room was just as she had left it –neat and tidy except for the throw blanked draped over the back of her reading chair and one of her many bibles lying open in the seat of the chair but everything else was put away and out of sight. She set her bag on the bench at the end of the bed and went to change into some of her night clothes so she read her bible and go to bed and be up early in the morning to catch Jasper before he went to do his chores.

He needed his family right now even if he wouldn't admit it but he was just like his daddy that way –stubborn as the day is long. She had just hoped that whoever he was talking to was also helping him. She would go in there right now and talk to him but he was busy talking to someone else and she would see him in the morning.

Before she climbed into her bed Carolynn pulled back the old quilt and the comforter underneath and grabbed her bible from her reading chair. She set the bible on her bedside table and climbed into bed. She grabbed the bible and read a few passages from it before marking her page and setting the bible back on to the bedside table.

Bella woke up around four in the morning unable to sleep any longer. She and Jasper had talked for about an hour about what they were going to do. They had decided short of going to therapy they did all they could do on their own. They also decided that they would at least try therapy and see if it could help them because they wanted to stay together but realized that it wasn't likely to happen if they didn't get help.

Being careful not to wake up Jasper Bella slipped out of the room and down stairs and out on to the porch. She found it peaceful to look at the stars and bright half-moon shining in the sky. She would like to be out here with Jasper but he had stayed awake taking care of her so the least she could do was let him sleep a few more hours before he had to get up and take care of all his chores.

Sitting in the rocking chair with the cool air touching her face Bella knew that she had come to terms with the loss of her son but knew that she would not be over his loss for a long time if she ever got over it but she just didn't see that happening for herself; she didn't even seeing it happen for Jasper either.

"Bella dear it's awfully nice to see you but what are you doing here at this time of day?" Carolynn asked.

"I've been here a few hours now. I couldn't sleep anymore so I came out to get some fresh air." Bella told her. She felt like the woman could tell why she was there.

"When did you get here?" she asked.

"Yesterday evening sometime," Bella replied. "I was so tired I hadn't paid attention to the time. Jasper helped me to the room and I slept while he did his chores."

"Is there a particular reason you came out here, don't get me wrong I love seeing you but you haven't been here in months." Carolynn said.

"Oh it was a miss understanding after my dad was okay to be on his own I came back and saw what I thought was Jasper kissing another girl, so I thought he had moved on so I left without saying anything to him." Bella replied. "I promise you that it will all be explained tomorrow."

"Oh. Well come in soon it is rather chilly out. I don't want you to catch a chill." Carolynn said turning to go back inside.

After Carolynn was gone Bella let out a sigh. She had wanted so badly to tell her about Little Jasper right then but knew that she would end up messing what she was trying to say up and likely piss Carolynn off. She stayed outside for a few more minutes before she slipped back inside and into the room she had slept in when she first arrived. Her things were still there.

Jasper woke up the next morning without Bella in his arms when he knew that she had been in his arms before he had fallen asleep. He immediately got up, changed and went to look for Bella. He found her sleep in her old room. He left her alone knowing that she needed as much sleep as possible. He stepped back out of the room and pulled the door closed. He headed down stairs to get a cup of coffee before he headed out to do his morning chores.

He steps into the kitchen and is surprised to see his mother there making breakfast.

"Ma what are you doing here?" Jasper asked. "I thought you weren't going to be home until later."

"I came home last night." Carolynn replied. "I knew I needed to be home and be there for you. You however were already asleep when I arrived home so I didn't want to bug you."

"Oh well glad to see you made it home all right and I did tell you that you didn't have to come home." Jasper told her.

"I know that but I didn't listen." Carolynn said.

"You never do." Jasper said.

"Oh and I also saw Bella earlier this morning." Carolynn said. "She was sitting outside in the chilling wind but I came back inside and went to bed I have no idea when she went back to bed."

"I know she's still sleeping." Jasper said. "Did she say anything to you out on the porch?"

"Nothing that would cause me to bang on your bed room door and wake you up which is why you did not get woken up at four am this morning."

"Thanks for that. When should we expect Charlotte and Peter to arrive?" Jasper replied.

"Around noon is what Charlotte told me before she put the twins down last night."

"Okay well I am going do my chores and Ma please leave Bella alone unless she comes down stairs or calls for you." Jasper requested.

"Oh that's fine. The poor girl looked so tired this morning."

"She hasn't been sleeping well lately. I think she has nightmares but she won't tell me if she does or not." Jasper told her.

"I'll keep and ear out for her and holler for you if she wants you."

"Thanks." Jasper replied heading out to the barn. He only had to pay the bills for the ranch and clean out the stalls and make sure the horses didn't have anything wrong with them which meant he would groom them he didn't have to but it was what he preferred to do. It only took him an hour to pay the bills by phone or online and another four to clean out the stalls, check the horses over and groom them.

Charlotte and Peter were already pulling up the driveway when he was walking back to it so he could take a shower and get cleaned up before he and Bella talked to them. Jasper gave them a nodded and went on his way.

He walked into his room and grabbed clean clothes along the way to the shower. He went about cleaning himself quickly and putting his clothes one quickly to –so quickly that he put his shirt on backward. After he saved he had finished putting his dirty clothes into the hamper along with the towel and walked out of the bathroom pulling his shit over his head. He jumped back a few inches when she spotted Bella looking at him.

"Uh… Hi." He greeted.

"I came in here—"

"You don't have to explain why you came in here; as far as I am concerned it's your room to." Jasper said. "And we will only go down whenever you are ready to speak with them even if it is a few hours from now."

"Oh I'm fine with talking to them now; I just kind of want to get it over with but I just don't know what to say to them." Bella told him. "Like what do I include or leave out. You know those kinds of things."

"Tell them everything you think is important to what happen even if it seems a little pointless if a part of the explanation doesn't make since without it leave it in and cut it out if the explanation does make since without it."

"You sound like an author to me." Bella said.

"Oh I get that from hanging around you." Jasper replied.

"I guess it's a good thing I'm not a rebel then." Bella said. "Then you would be getting into all kinds of trouble."

"True so do you want to head down now or wait a little longer?" Jasper asked her.

Bella was quiet for a few minutes. She took calming breaths before answering with a yes and stood up from her seat on Jasper's bed. Jasper took her hand in his and they both walked down the stairs together. Carolynn, Peter and Charlotte were in the kitchen so Bella sat down in a chair close to the door –just in case she needed to run—and Jasper walked into the kitchen to get the three other adults.

"Could you guys please come into the living room?" Jasper asked.

"Sure we can." Carolynn said.

Peter nodded in agreement knowing what was about to go down at least he hoped he knew what was about to go down. The four adults left the kitchen and into the living room. Carolynn, Peter and Charlotte sat on the couch while jasper sat on a foot stool by Bella again taking her hand in his.

"Could you two please tell us what was so important that you had to bring us all in here?" Charlotte asked.

"It's mostly Bella's story and partly mine and it's kind of hard to tell." Jasper said. "We had planned on telling you weeks ago but we had no idea how to tell you; we just couldn't figure out how we would get it out."

Jasper looked toward Bella. She took a deep breath and let it out.

"I really don't know how to say this but when I left here all those months ago when my dad got sick; I was pregnant but I didn't know it. I didn't find out until I had fainted in my dad's hospital room." Bella took a moment to breathe and felt like she would be doing that a lot.

"Jasper was the father of course, but I didn't tell him while I was with my dad because I wanted to tell him in person a phone call or e-mail wouldn't do it for me. So a few weeks later when my dad was out of the hospital and well enough to take care of himself I flew back. Upon arriving back at the ranch I saw what I thought to be Jasper. I told the cabbie driving me that it was a wrong address and to take me to the INN in town." Bella took another pause and Jasper squeezed her hand.

"I stayed there two days before I went to Dallas. I got a small apartment and fixed it up. I bought everything I could for the baby from burping cloths to the crib and changing table. A few days after that I got one job and later got another because I wanted to save as much money as I could; I took my college classes online." Bella took another break.

"My pregnancy was fine except for the few times I was put on bed rest because of my high blood pressure. I gave birth two months ago on November first."

"If you had a baby where is it?" Charlotte asked not liking where Bella's story was going.

"I gave birth two months ago to a little boy two months early but it was a miracle because there wasn't a single thing wrong with him at birth but my happiness over having him was short lived. They day I was going to call Jasper and tell him about our son, our son died." Bella said. "Two weeks to the day he was born he died after that happened I just couldn't bring myself to tell Jasper because telling him that he had a son but a son that wasn't living anymore wasn't something I could do."

"If you didn't tell him how did he find out?" Carolynn asked as Bella whipped her fresh tears away.

"He found out when he spotted me at the cemetery. He had been there to visit an army buddy. He nearly had me jumping out of my skin when he asked me why I didn't tell him."

"But the reason we are telling you this now is that we are moving our son to the family cemetery here on the ranch after talking about it because he should be surrounded by family in death since he couldn't in life."

"What was his name?"

"Jasper Otto Whitlock,"

* * *

***The song was chosen because Jasper wants to be there for Bella but is not completly sure how to be there for her. The same could be said for Bella. Also neither of the realize how much the other one cares for them. Just like the girl in the song does not know that the guy playing the song cares for her.**


	47. Amazing Grace

_**Amazing Grace**_

It had been a long hard week since Jasper and Bella told his mother, brother and sister-in-law about their son. Carolynn had burst into tears when Jasper told her that their son's name was the exact same as his just with the junior suffix added at the end of it.

Today would be a really tough day on them all because it was the day they would bury Little Jasper with his family like he should have been in the first place but a mix-up can do that to anyone. Jasper was fidgeting in his seat waiting for grave diggers to let him know everything was ready for the ceremony. They had a preacher there to pray over the remains and conduct the service; things Bella hadn't even thought about the first time around.

"Jasper; are you okay?" Bella asked him.

"I should be asking you that." Jasper replied. "And I'm fine. I guess I just never pictured I would be doing something like this."

"Neither did I but we'll get through it and I do have to say it has been a little bit easier for me now that I have you. There is no way I could get over his death completely because if I ever do then that means I am dead and with him or something is seriously wrong with me." Bella told him.

"That goes for me too." Jasper replied. "I just can't see why or how anyone would ever get over losing a child."

Jasper and Bella continued to sit next to each other waiting for word that everything was ready. Jasper hated the waiting around. He felt like he was being useless but Charlotte, Peter and his mother all forced him to sit down and leave the chores to them or the ranch hands for the day. The only good thing out of it was that he got to spend a lot more time with Bella.

"Bella your father is here with Angela and Alice." Carolynn called.

"Send them in." Bella called after her.

Jasper had gotten up to straighten the living room up so they could sit down until it was time for the service to start. Bella's father Charlie sat down closest to him Angela sat next to him and Alice sat in a spare chair. No one said anything but then again the defining silence in the room spoke volumes for them all.

Jasper only looked up from the floor when he heard footsteps on the hard wood floors. It was Peter.

"They say it's time." Was all Peter said but they all understood.

Jasper stood up and helped Bella up from her seat. Alice and Angela had gotten up and followed Charlie –who had gotten up when Peter entered the room—out of the room and into the backyard. Once everyone in their group arrived they headed for the cemetery. The since of foreboding fell upon everyone but there was two reasons for that the first being that they were going into a cemetery and the second reason being that they were there to re-burry a baby something no family should have to do.

When the group arrived at the small cemetery they walked up to the deep hole in the ground. Jasper stayed silent as he held on to Bella –who had started to cry when she saw the deep hole. Little Jasper's casket sat next to the hole in the ground ready to be lowered down.

Once everyone was in place the preacher gave a small speech about how important children are and how their loss affects those that knew them. After he was done Angela stepped up and read a short poem. After Angela finished who had stayed behind lowered the casket in to the ground.

Each person held a rose and tossed it on to the casket before tossing in a small hand full of dirt after it. Bella then turned to walk away and Jasper followed her. One by one each member of their small group trickled off and back to the house the Preacher and the grave diggers being the last ones to leave for obvious reasons.

Back at the house everyone remained quiet. Just as everyone sat down Angela left the room and did not reaper for ten minutes. When she came back she was holding a large package. She walked over and handed it to Jasper and Bella.

"What is this?" Bella asked her.

"Something Ben and I thought you might like. We had it made with Peter's help and Ben is sorry that he wasn't able to be here to give it to you." Angela told her.

Bella took the simple white paper off of the package. Inside the paper was a thick black picture frame. Inside the frame was a black and white photograph on of little jasper that faded into a black and white background with the white parts shaped as leaves. On the black and white background was a short statement that said all of what Bella and Jasper were feeling or wanted to say in a blue font. At the top of the image was Little Jasper's name:

_I'll never get to see you grow up_

_Hear you say your first words_

_Help you take your first steps_

_Take you fishing or to school_

_But I knew from the moment _

_I laid my eyes on you _

_I will always love you._

"Thank you." Bella told here barely above a whisper.

"It was nothing and it was Ben's idea to have it made." Angela said. "He said that he would have wanted something like this done if it was us."

"Thank you it means a lot." Bella and Jasper said at the same time.

Jasper pulled Bella closer to him as the stared at the gift from Angela and Ben. The family and their friends had left the room to give them some privacy. They didn't say a thing to anyone or each other. While the past few months and days had been hard on them while they hadn't expected to live through something like that so soon they were very thankful to have their friends and family to help them through it. It would forever be one of the most precious gifts anyone had given them.

**ONE MONTH LATER…**

Bella and Jasper had decided to go visit Charlie up in Forks for a week. Jasper would be staying in a motel while Bella would be staying with her father. They had decided to do that out of respect for Charlie I would stay somewhere else while we were in Forks.

"Jasper are you alright?" Bella asked coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I'm fine." Jasper replied. "Well I am worried about running into your mother. She's the only one we haven't told about little Jasper."

"We'll deal with that if we run into her and she's the one who didn't really care about me." Bella told Jasper before she followed him and sat down. "And is she has a problem with me having a child out of wedlock then she needs to take a look at herself in the mirror because she was pregnant with me before she and Charlie even got married."

"All right I get it."

_Flight 103 to Washington now boarding._

"Let's go get on the plane now."

Jasper stood up first and turned toward Bella and helped her up. He grabbed her carry on and his own and followed her toward the gate. They handed their tickets over to the airport working standing there. A few seconds later they were shown to their seats by a flight attendant who seemed overly sweet towards Jasper in Bella's mind. Jasper of course ignored the woman and put their carryon bags in the over head compartment and sat down next to Bella.

"That woman was rude." Bella told him.

"She was rude but we only have to ignore her for a few hours and we'll be driving from Seattle to Forks but we can stop in PA if you want to."

"Of course I want to there is this books story I cannot wait to see again, I haven't been there since before I started college." Bella told him.

"We should probably eat while we are there. Airline food isn't much better than hospital food."

"I told you we should have snuck some Taco Bell or your ma's food on with us but you wouldn't listen." Bella replied.

"True but I did also say that it wouldn't have been warm by the time we were hungry so it would have been pointless to bring it along." Jasper told her.

"I know you are right but I will be thinking about her food the whole flight."

"Here maybe this will hold you over." Jasper said setting a small package on the fold out table in front of him.

"You had her cookies the whole time and you didn't tell me." Bella said slightly annoyed.

"Yes I did and they are just for you. Ma would kill me if I ate them and didn't give you any of them." Jasper said. "And I ate mine while we were waiting."

Bella snagged the cookies off the table just as the flight attendant announced that it was time to buckle up for the flight ahead. The flight attendant went through the whole deal about the different landings if there was something that went wrong. Neither Bella nor Jasper listened to her because they had flown on planes before and they already had their selves buckled in.

**Flight passes**

"Thank god that flight is over. That woman behind us would not shut up." Bella said walking off the plane.

"I know but at least no one will be in the car with us." Jasper said.

"Yes I know but we have to get our bags first." Bella replied.

"I'll get them you go get the keys for the rental." Jasper said. "I'll meet you there."

Bella found the rental car booth which had a long line leading up to it. It was in that line that she was still waiting when Jasper found her.

"Long line?" Jasper asked standing next to her.

"Yes. Not to mention all the snooty people who think they should get a certain car because they have money and not because they are a priority club member or something like that. It really makes me mad when they do that because all they would have to do is fork over a few more dollars and they wouldn't have to worry about the car they do want not being there when they go to get it." Bella ranted.

"I get it. Snooty people think they should get a car even if they are not a priority club member." Jasper said. "And we only have three more people to go before we get our car."

"Jasper I'll settle for a truck." Bella replied. "As long as we can get out of the dang airport I will settle for a truck."

"Okay truck or car you don't care as long as you have room to move around am I right?" Jasper replied.

"Yes, so no compact vehicles." Bella told him.

"Next."

"Hey it's our turn." Jasper said urging her forward."

"Oh crap." Bella said when she saw who was manning the car rental booth.

"What?" Jasper asked.

"That is Jessica Stanley, I went to school with her and she was the biggest _slut_ and gossip there was." Bella explained. "I had hoped I wouldn't run into her but I guess my luck is running out."

"Next." Jessica's irritated voice said.

"Yes. Hi I would like to rent a car or truck it doesn't matter which one as long as it's not compact." Jasper said stepping up to the counter.

"I'm sorry we only have compacts left." Jessica replied.

Jasper leaned forward. "Well I know for a fact that you should have a truck here somewhere because I reserved it a week ago and was told it would be ready by the time I landed."

"Well I guess I can see what I can do." Jessica said batting her eyelashes at Jasper in a bad attempt to flirt.

"Excuse me Jessica I would appreciate it if you would stop flirting with my boyfriend." Bella said stepping from behind Jasper.

"Well Hello Bella I didn't know you were here." Jessica said. "I heard you got pregnant a while back and skipped town."

"While I was pregnant I didn't skip town. I went back to join the baby's father." Bella said. "Which was Jasper; we lost the baby and are here to see my father now you can go spread that around town for all I care because the truth will always be much better than the lie. Now can you please get the keys to our truck?"

"Here you go." Jessica said.

Bella snatched the keys from Jessica and headed toward the rental lot with Jasper following behind her. Bella knew that by the time the stepped a single foot into Forks that he whole town would know about her, Jasper and her baby and she really didn't care what they would think.

"Are you alright?" Jasper asked.

"Oh I'm fine just preparing myself for what the town's people will say not that I care."

**A Long Car Ride Later**

"ISABELLA MARIE SWAN!"

Bella heard her full name even before she sat one toe on Forks soil. It belonged to the woman who called herself her mother. Bella reluctantly turned around to face the woman but stayed standing near the bed of the truck. Jasper had climbed out and walked around to stand beside her.

"Hello mother." Bella replied.

"Get away from my daughter you defiler." Renee shouted at Jasper.

"Stay Jasper." Bella said.

"No Bella you will listen to me." Renee shouted. "I should have never allowed you to go to college. You left and you wound up pregnant."

"You can't tell me what to do. I am nineteen almost twenty you can't order me around anymore and just for your information I lost the baby." Bella shouted. "Come on Jasper let's check you in and then go find my father."

"I didn't raise you that way Bella. Forget that country bumpkin and come back home where you belong." Renee yelled.

"Listen here woman you may biologically be my mother but you did not raise me and Jasper is not a country bumpkin and you should be one to talk living in a town much smaller than the one he is from. Hell even if he was a country bumpkin as you so called it he is ten times the man that Phil will ever be."

Bella rejoined Jasper and the two walked into the building they were parked in front of and got Jasper his room. He set his bag down at the foot of the bed and took Bella's hand as they went to find Charlie.

"He'll be at the Dinner most days at this time." Bella said.

"I think you are right and I see him through the window and he's sitting with a woman." Jasper replied.

"That'll be Sue. I suspect she's his girlfriend but dad won't confirm it." Bella said opening the dinner door and making a beeline for her dad and Sue.

Jasper followed her.

"Hi dad, Hi Sue. What are you doing?" Bella greeted them.

"I invited Sue to have lunch with me since I didn't expect you until later." Her dad replied.

"Come on dad just tell me you two are dating. I'd welcome that news just as much as I would the news that Renee split with Phil."

"You knew?" Charlie asked her.

"You're kind of obvious about your feelings toward her. I got my blushing thing from you." Bella told him setting down.

She and Jasper had sat on the opposite side of the table as Charlie and Sue.

"So how are things with you Bella?" Sue asked.

"Fine. I kind of want to bust up moms house with a bat but that wouldn't look good for Dad so I'll have to find another way to get my anger out." Bella replied.

"Why is that?" Charlie asked.

"Because she just got done yelling at me in the middle of Olympic Drive," Bella replied "But even then it was nothing compared to Jasper's mom when she finally blew her top and didn't talk to me again until about two weeks ago apologizing like she had insulted me when I had expected her to blow up all along."

"Well you both feel sorry about the situation but you can't change it so move on." Charlie said.

"I have tried to tell them both that but they would not listen to me." Jasper told him.

"Bella is as stubborn as a mule Jasper you won't get her to do anything unless she wants to or you force her and well I gave her pepper spray so that doesn't happen." Charlie told him.

"I've learned that." Jasper said. "And my brother takes every chance he can to laugh at me because of it."

"You should laugh right back at him. Charlotte is just as stubborn as me and he usually bends to do what she wants not the other way around." Bella said.

"Thanks for the ammo Bella." Jasper replied.

"Please don't kill him." Bella pleaded.

"I won't kill him but I do plan to embarrass the hell out of him." Jasper told her.

"Which he will turn around and do to you until your mother yells at the both of you for fooling around when you should have been working," Bella said.

"You know Jasper's mother quite well." Charlie replied to Bella.

"I do. A few short weeks after I started working there she had me working more in the house with her that with the horses but I liked the job and I learned a lot." Bella told him. "After all she was more of a mother to me than my real mother had been."

* * *

**This is the last chapter before the epilogue. I hope you like it and I have to say I am sorry to see this story end. But fair not the 'series' will continue with Alice's story and then angela's after that.**

**I do have one request. Help me get 100 REVIEWS I am so close. This request even counts for the next chapter.**

**MAYE**


	48. Epilogue

As an Easter gift to you my lovely readers I updated early.

**SFACM:LA—Sorry to see this story end. There will be a sequel but I want to go back and watch the episodes and plan where I want to take their next adventure.**

**WP—I am sorry to see this story end too. I have a plan for a sequel and I plan to call it either **_**Wild Hearts**_** or **_**Wild Fires.**_** I have come to the conclusion I will tell Angela's story first then Alice's story.**

**DLDM—This story is in limbo at the moment I have no idea where I want to take it. I know I want to bring one or two of the cullen's back now but I'm not sure who. Plus Charlie catches someone in his house.**

_Have a good easter and hope you liked the way I ended things or they way they are looking._

_LOVE,_

_MAYE_

_**THE EPILOUGE: TWO YEARS LATER 2009**_

**BELLA**

The next two years were hard for Jasper and Bella. They lived through the death of Little Jasper and the miscarriage of another baby two months after their second anniversary. After the miscarriage Bella put herself on birth control and told Jasper that she wasn't going to stop taking it until they were both ready to try for a baby and that wasn't going to happen on her part until they were married. Jasper readily agreed to that because he had not wanted to see Bella in anymore pain.

"Two Years and you still haven't learned to tie a tie correctly." Bella said walking into the room.

"Nope and I doubt I ever will." Jasper replied leaning down to kiss her cheek. "Why do I have to wear the monkey suit anyway?"

"Because it's Angela's day and this is what she wanted everyone to wear. Plus you are a groomsmen so it's kind of a given that you have to wear a monkey suit." Bella told him.

"I don't even know why Ben asked me to be one."

"He asked you because you helped Angela when she came to us three years ago." Bella replied.

"But they gave us that picture."

"Yes they did but Ben didn't see it as enough hell he probably doesn't see asking you to be a groomsmen as enough either." She also told him.

"Dam it." Jasper yelled as he messed up the tie for the third time. "Could you fix my tie for me because if you don't we'll be late."

"I'll fix it and we won't be late." Bella said pulling the tie undone and redoing it to where it fit perfectly around Jasper's neck. She smoothed it down before she went and grabbed his jacket off the bed and handing it over to him.

"Are you upset at all that you weren't a bridesmaid?" Jasper asked.

"No I'm not because I know Angela would have preferred to have me up there with her instead of her cousins but her mom wanted her to do that." Bella said. "And Alice feels the same way Lauren was pissed that Alice and I threw a bachelorette party for Angela."

"Please from what I have seen of her this week she was pissed because there was no alcohol served at the rehearsal dinner last night and that there won't be any served at the reception." Jasper said.

"They were both bit*hes in high school and they still are now." Bella said.

"Oh really what kind of things did they do?" Jasper asked.

"They stole several boyfriends and had even tried stealing Ben at one point but he had been talking to Angela on his cell phone just before it happened and didn't hang up and Angela heard the whole thing and yelled at them in the middle of gym class one day. Angela got detention for it and about a million views on YouTube because of it."

"Is the video still up?" Jasper asked.

"Nope; she took it down after she started applying to schools for college."

"Come on now enough with the chit chat we better get out of here." Jasper said.

Jasper slipped on his jacket and watched as Bella slipped on the _death_ traps that Alice had insisted she wear. The two girls had coordinated with the color Angela had originally wanted to use –but was again thwarted by her mother who thought that the blue she had chosen was _gaudy_. It was their way to honor Angela on her day without being her bridesmaids.

"What's the time?" Jasper asked.

"You have ten minutes to get to the church and we are only three streets away." Bella told him. "You have to take a left turn on to pine."

Jasper did as he was told and turned on to pine and two blocks later he was pulling into the church parking lot which was packed with other wedding guest. Jasper had to park at the far end of the lot where the only open space was left. He got out of the car and helped Bella out. He walked her to the bride's room where Angela was getting ready.

"Angela why aren't you in your dress yet?" Bella asked.

"Because I can't get into it by myself and Jessica and Lauren are off trying to get in to Ben's best man's pants or someone else's pants for all I know and my mom is off chasing my brothers."

"Jasper you go find the groomsmen I'm going to help Angela get into her dress."

"I got it. See you after the ceremony." Jasper said before giving Bella a quick kiss on the cheek.

Bella closed the door behind Jasper and turned to help Angela into her dress. It wasn't hard just tedious because after she got the dress on Angela Bella had a whole lot of buttons to well button.

"Angela what made you get this dress all the buttons would drive me crazy?" Bella asked her.

"I chose this dress because it was the only thing my mother couldn't change remember that weekend you and Alice had me try on dresses for the heck of it."

"Yes but what does that have to do with it?"

"I saw this dress across the sale floor. I knew that it was the one and I tried it on while you and Alice were running around looking at other dresses for me to try on. I knew that I had to have it and went back later and bought it because I knew my mother would make me get something else. Heck she tried to get me to wear my grandmother's dress. The dress it's self was beautiful but I wasn't going to wear it when I already bought a dress that I couldn't take back."

"Feel better?" Bella asked.

"Much." Angela said.

The door flew open to reveal Jessica and Lauren in a tacky green color dresses.

"I see why you chose the color." Bella murmured so only Angel could here.

Angela nodded.

"Well Bella the real bridesmaids are here now so you can leave." Lauren snapped. "And you are wearing the same dress as Alice how pathetic."

"Oh well it's too late for me to go and change my dress now." Bella said leaving.

She had to find Alice and see what she was doing. It didn't take long for her to find Alice. She was talking with one of Angela's nicer cousins about her dress –where she bought it how much it cost and why she bought it.

"Alice you're here." Bella greeted rushing over to her.

"I just got here five minutes ago." Alice said. "I wasn't even allowed to see Angela."

"I got to see here only because the _bridesmaids _." Bella replied.

"Seriously if I was her I would elope in Vegas after those two weaseled their way into the wedding." The cousin replied. "Lucy Messier I'm—"

"Angela's good cousin. She complained for weeks after Lauren and Jessica weaseled their way in. she would have rather had you as the only bridesmaid or none at all since there was no way she could use us."

**ANGELA**

Angela was mad that Lauren had chased Bella out of the room. She didn't even want her or Jessica in the room with her but her mother was way too good at laying a guilt trip on her which is why the wedding felt more like her mother's than it did her own. She had even felt like running and eloping with Ben but had no way to tell him that she wanted to do.

But right now all she wanted to do was get Lauren and Jessica out of her hair because they were arguing about which girl got which's groom man.

"_Please Jasper is so mine he's not even your type." Lauren said._

"Jasper is with Bella." Angela said without thinking.

"I could steal him away from her." Lauren said.

"No you one because you are not his type and he is devoted to Bella.

"So and so were other men Jessica and I have been with but we lured them away from their girlfriends."

"You call those boys from high school men Jasper is a man not Mike Newton and further more you two can leave because I need a break from you two." Angela snapped at them.

Lauren and Jessica flinched a little bit at the anger Angel spewed out. They had never seen her act that way but then again her mother was normally around when they visited so she always played the good little girl. Even with the flinching Jessica and Lauren didn't move from their seats.

"I said you two need to leave. I need time to myself now get the heck out." she yelled at them after hey had not made a move to the door.

"Your mother is the one who told us to come in here do you really want to make her mad?" Lauren asked.

"If it gives me a little time to myself today then of course I would." Angela told them. "And it's my wedding day so it does not matter what my mother wants. It matters what I want."

Lauren and Jessica grumbled and puffed their way loudly out the door saying something about Angela being a bridezilla which was far from eh truth. Angela knew that he loud noises they were making surly would draw the attention of her mother but Angela didn't care. She finally had a moment of peace without those to hounding her. She smiled to herself when she saw that Jessica left her purse and –after a quick peek inside the purse—her cell phone behind. She grabbed the phone from the purse quickly forming a plan in her head and sent the only message she could think of to Ben. The only thing she could do now was wait and see if he would respond.

After placing the phone back into Jessica's bag Angela quickly packed a bag of her own and quickly wrote a fake note that Ben had run out on her months before and she couldn't marry him because of it.

She knew that she should've done this earlier when Bella was helping her with her dress but she hadn't thought of that at the time and really didn't want Bella blamed for it when she had disappeared from the church. The ticking of the clock on the wall had started to drive her crazy; it was almost as if someone was counting down to her end; the knock at the door could mean one of two things for her and she just hoped that it was the better answer of the two that it could be.

**BEN**

Ben had no idea what to think when he got the message from Angela. It was short and said all that it needed to say. That one word said what she wanted to do now. Looking at the clock and hearing the screams of Angela's mother he knew what he had to do. He found his best man Austin talking to his girl friend of a year.

"Hey man I need to talk to you." Ben said pulling him away from the girl.

"Sure man."

Ben led them away from the group and out of ear shot of those closest to them.

"Hey man what's up?" Austin asked.

"Listen man Angela and I aren't getting married here today."

"What do you mean you aren't getting married?" Austin asked.

"I didn't say that. We are getting married just not in this church. This wedding was more for her mom than anything. The only thing she picked out was the dress." Ben told him. "I just need you to ask Jasper if he can help Angela get out of here."

"Why him?"

"Because he's with Bella and Bella can help calm Angela down and tell them to take her to the park by the court house in an hour."

"Why?" Austin asked.

"Just do it." Ben snapped. "Sorry I… Just please do this."

"Yeah have Jasper Angela and Bella meet you at the park across from the court house in an hour." Austin said. "What about Angela's mom?"

"Do not tell her anything; make her think I ran off if you have too." Ben told Austin before he went in search of the Pastor.

"Pastor Barnes?" he asked knocking on the church office door.

"Why hello Ben is everything alright?" he asked.

"Everything is fine but Angela and I have had a change of heart about the wedding."

"You don't want it anymore?"

"Oh we want it we just want it to be a small group of people, you know just a few friends of ours. We'd like the new ceremony to take place in the park by the court house in about an hour; after we make everyone think that I ran off." Ben rambled.

"Are you sure."

"Yes. I got a message from her about ten minutes ago. It's the only word she would type if she got overwhelmed along with something about eloping somewhere." Ben replied. "So can you do it?"

"Of course I can."

"Thanks Angela and I would rather do it here but her mother is driving her a bit crazy."

"It shouldn't take long for me to wrap thing up here after you _run _off." Pastor Barnes replied.

Ben hurried out of the office and back to the room where the groomsmen were getting ready. He grabbed his bag and left out the back door of the church where he wouldn't be seen by those arriving at the church. He could not wait to see Angela again in a short few minutes in the beautiful park. He paced back and forth in front of the fountain. They only had a short span of time before they could pull this off.

He saw the pastor walking toward him.

"Pastor Barnes." He greeted.

"Benjamin."

"Please it's just Ben." Ben replied the nerves starting to get to him.

"Angela is here."Austin said. "She's out of view because she wants to keep some tradition in the wedding."

"I'm fine as long as she's here." Ben replied. "Do you have the ring?"

"It has not left my pinky since you have given it to me." Austin said holding up the ring.

**ALICE**

Alice Brandon was perfectly happy to help Angela get the wedding she would want to have even if it meant making people think she was a runaway bride. They had snuck Angela down the hall to the community room that lead out the side door. They had Jasper with them holding a camera to make it look like he was just taking pictures while Austin brought the car around.

"Prepare yourself Angela because here comes Austin." Alice said.

"Just get me out of here and I will be fine." Angela replied. "We need to be out of here in fifteen minutes before my mom catches us."

"You girls Ready for a jail break?" Austin asked from the driver's seat.

The girls nodded and rushed forward to help Angela into the car.

"Now Angela remember we will be there we just have to wait for the announcing that Ben ran out on you then we can leave." Alice said.

"I know Alice just make a break for it when you can."

"See you in a few Angela." Bella said with a wave as she closed the door to the car.

"Let's go find her mom so we can say we would like to see her."

"The note is already planted. We walk in and find the note they make the announcement and we leave."

"No we leave after we give the note to her mother saying that we are going to look for Angela." Bella told her.

"Of course," Alice replied.

They had stepped back into the front doors of the church. Angela's mom was there scolding Angela's twin brothers about getting into things they weren't supposed to be getting into. Alice's guess was the communion wine or grape juice –depending on what the church liked to use.

"Mrs. Webber we were wondering if we could see Angela for a split second before the ceremony starts. You know wish her good luck and all." Alice said pointing to Bella and her.

"That's quite alright but you will have to make it quick thought. The ceremony is supposed to start any moment now."

"All we need is a second." Alice said sweetly.

"Follow me." The stern looking woman said.

Alice and Bella did as they were told as Mrs. Webber lead them back to the Bride's room.

"She'll be right in there. I have to get back to the twins so they don't get into anything."

"That's fine." Alice said.

Alice pushed the door open and walked in. She looked around the room like she was looking for Angela.

"Mrs. Webber, please hold on a minute Angela's not here." Alice said walking over to the desk with all the makeup sitting on top of it along with the fake note.

"It looks like she left a note." Alice said picking it up.

Mrs. Webber rushed over and read it.

_I'm sorry I can't marry Ben at the moment. It's not what I want for myself anymore. Once again I'm sorry._

_Love Angela_

Alice was happy that Angela would now get the life she wanted. Alice was pretty sure her life would be getting better in the next few years too if she landed that internship with Missy McCray –no relation to Alexander McQueen— that is. She liked fashion a lot more than the business courses her mother wanted her to take but she figured that she would take a few when she wanted to open her own store but she would ask her advisors what classes would be best for her to take. Her first classed would be in the coming September.

**JASPER**

Jasper was only too glad to help Ben and Angela have the wedding they wanted. He had just hoped everything would go off without a hitch. He had spent the past few minutes out in his car under the guise of smoking a cigarette before the ceremony started. He just hoped that Bella and Alice could make a clean get away.

Jasper perked up when he saw Bella headed toward the car. He unlocked the doors and waited for her to climb in.

"Let's go, let's go, and let's go." Bella chanted climbing into the car.

"Where is Alice?" He asked.

"She has her own car remember." Bella replied.

Jasper quickly started the car and pulled out of the parking lot careful not to hit another car. He drove in the direction of the park Ben had told him about. It was easy to find. Now all he had to do was find out where Ben wanted them all to meet.

"Jasper." Bella said. "Over there."

"Oh I have no clue why I missed them." Jasper said leading her over.

"Hey Austin." He greeted.

"Where's Angela?" Bella asked.

"Behind the hedges over there so Ben can't see her," He replied. "They want to do it the right way."

"I'll see you in a few." Bella said before kissing Jasper on the cheek.

Jasper shook his head. "Ben here yet?" he asked Austin.

"No but he should be here any minute. He went to get something special for Angela." Austin replied.

Ben arrived ten minutes later with the pastor not far behind him. Alice arrived a few minutes after him and headed for the hedges. _Bella must have texted her._ Jasper thought. They lined up in front of a fountain at the end of a small brick path. Ben looked nervous –but to be honest what groom didn't?

Jasper heard the first cords of a classical song strike. Alice walked out from behind the hedges and up the brick path her hand clutching a small group of blue daises. She stopped at the right of the pastor. Then Bella walked out; Jasper's eyes never left her as she walked up the path clutching her own blue daises. She stopped walking and stood just in front of Alice.

The classical music stopped at the Wedding march started and a few seconds later Angela stepped out from behind the hedges. He looked toward Ben who had a gleam in his eye that Jasper knew all too well when he looked at Peter when he was thinking about Charlotte. She stopped just in front of the pastor and stood right next to Ben.

Jasper watched on as Angela and Ben said their vows, shakily exchanged their rings and shared their first kiss as husband and wife before they walked back down the small brick path followed by Alice, Bella, Jasper, Austin and who ever his girl friend was and the pastor –who only followed to say good bye.

Jasper stepped closer to Bella and pulled her closer to him. She smiled at him and he returned the smile.

"That should be us one day." He said to Bella after wrapping his arms around her.

"Hey were not going to be like Pink and Carrey Hart here. You will have to take that step." Bella replied.

"You'll have to wait and see." Jasper told her. "Everything has to be perfect before I even think about that."

"Oh." Bella said sounding a little disappointed.

Jasper pulled his arms away from her. He put his hands into his Jacket pocket and pulled out a small box. Bella gasped when she saw the small box.

"I'd get down on one knee but I hurt my leg before we flew out here."

"Yeah I still want to kick Peter's but for that." Bella replied.

"So will you?" Jasper asked.

"Will I what?" Bella replied back.

"Bella," Jasper said pausing for a second. "I'm asking you to Marry Me?"

"You are… this isn't some kind of sick joke is it?" Bella asked.

"Bella you know my five foot two mother would kick my six foot three ass if it was some sort of sick joke." Jasper replied. "I'm seriously asking you to marry me, whether it's today tomorrow or years from now I wouldn't care because you would have promised to marry me. So what is your answer?"

"Yes I will." Bella said pulling the small box from his hand. She looked at the ring and handed it back to him. "But not today because it's Angela's day and I wouldn't take attention from her."

"I wouldn't either." Jasper said slipping the ring on to Bella's finger.

It was a sliver ring topped with an emerald surrounded by diamonds and looked very much like the ring Prince Charles gave to Diana* but the sapphire was replaced with an emerald.

"You didn't spend a lot of money on this did you?"

"Only to get it resized; it's a family heirloom." Jasper said. "Hasn't been worn since my great-great Grandma during the Civil war,"

"Why?" Bella asked. "It's not cursed or anything like that is it?"

"No it's not. No man in my family has wanted to give it to anyone. Dad wanted to give it to Ma but her mother gave him a ring her grandmother wanted her to have. So this ring was passed down to Peter and I if we wanted to use it Peter hadn't because he had replica of the Cracker Jack Ring made for Charlotte."

"Why'd Peter give her the Cracker Jack Ring?"

"He gave her one as a promise ring and when he proposed he wanted her to have a replica of the ring but he wanted it to be real." Jasper replied. "To show her his love for her just like I wanted to show you mine and I chose to give you this ring because I knew you would like the history behind it."

"And I'll be glad to add more to it."

**This is the end of my story Wild Ponies for now. I will do a sequel but not right now because I don't know what I want it to entail yet and I want to be able to focus on my novel a little more. I might start it a little earlier if I get writers block and need away to break it. Also let it be known that the sequel will be either about Alice or Angela with an appearance by Bella and Jasper. **

*****_Also the ring Jasper Gave Bella is in reference to Prince Charles and Princess Di because William had not yet proposed to Kate. A year away from it if I am correct because this story takes place in 2009 and they got married in 2011 so my guess would be they got engaged in 2010. I hadn't planned on Jasper proposing to her but the story just took the turn and I went with it and I have to say that it turned out better than I thought it ever would. I hope you love it like I do._

**L**O**V**E** Y**O**U **M**Y **R**E**A**D**E**R**S**.**

**M**A**Y**E


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